Over Again
by Cosmo-G1rl
Summary: Upon being sent to the Umbral Sphere, Samantha and Jane are trapped and now must find a way back home before the Shadow's Hand uses Samantha's abilities to reopen a portal to the Photonic Sphere. Meanwhile Ellipsis, Io, Nyssia and Ridley are figuring out a way to rescue Samantha and Jane from the Umbral Sphere.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

It was a warm summer day. It was the last warm summer day before fall. The air was gentle as it flew over the hill. The sun was shining high. The warm sunlight stretched across the valley. The sound of laughter echoed through the hills behind the valley. Two young girls were playing in the fields. One blonde and the other was red haired. They were dancing. The red haired one held in her hand a string instrument. The blonde haired one was dancing along. And for brief moment, the world around them vanished and their problems melted away.

"Tell me. How can one dance so well?" said the red haired one.

"I don't know." Replied the blonde hair one. "How can one play so well?"

"Practice." Answered the red haired one.

The blonde hair girl slowly ceased dancing and sat on the grass.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes….I shall be…one day." The blonde haired one said as she took deep breaths.

"Does the Elders know? Of the young one you bear?" The red haired one said as she sat down with her friend.

"Goodness no. I wouldn't be a part of the upcoming ritual if I wasn't." The blonde haired one stood.

"Allea…" The red haired one as she sat on the grass.

"Ellipsis…. Why you stop playing?"

"It's just…." Ellipsis said as she adjusted her instrument. "Have you thought about running away? From here? From all of this?"

"What are you saying? That I dishonor the Tannin Clan and abandon everything? That I do not participate in the same ritual my mother did before me? To honor the Gods and ourselves is my purpose." Allea said as she picked up small stick on the ground. "Ellipsis…I know you care. But this is something I have to do. It's in my blood. I'm a poison." Allea said as the stick in her hand began to sprout leaves and grow. From the stick flowers bloomed in an instant and withered away.

"You're mother wasn't pregnant with you when she participated." Ellipsis said as she stood up.

"Perhaps…but still…I just can't leave."

"Yes you can. Think of the child. The child that sleeps inside of you. What kind of life would it not have? What kind of life would you deprive it of?" Allea turned away with sadness in her eyes.

"What kind of life would I have if I left?" Allea asked

"I don't know. Maybe a happier one. Better off alive than dead." Ellipsis said. "Look I know you've been having doubts. The whole thing has shaken you up. Please Allea. Don't participate."

"But who'll take my place. If the Elders were to discover…"

"You can leave that to me. I'll make sure they will not find out. Now what do you say?"

Allea turned her head away. She had been struggling with this decision for the past few nights already. She wanted to escape. But she was afraid.

"Where would I go?"

"What you be upset if I told I know of a small raft that would take you across the water and out there somewhere, you can escape."

Allea gave a slight smile. "So that's what you've been up to these past few moons."

Ellipsis smiled back.

"Ellipsis…."

"Yes?"

"Please do not do anything reckless. Please be safe."

Be safe…

Be Safe.

Do not do anything reckless.

Please.

Those words echoed in Ellipsis's head as she stared off into the distance. She remembered where she was. She was no longer in that field. It was defiantly not summer. The cold reminded her of that. She was inside a large building. She was sitting on a cushion that looked like it was mauled by a wild dog. Wrapped up in a long coat that smelled of dust, sweat and blood. How long has it been? She forgot. It's been too long. Regenerating was one thing. Regenerating and slowly regaining your memory is a different trip all together. It was like sobering up and suddenly realizing all the stuff you did the night before with pain and regret added into the mix. The headaches are a given. Cigarettes and coffee were Ellipsis go to cure for hangovers. It wasn't working for this trip. The cigarettes came from a bloody torn coat and the coffee was old and tasted like dirt. There were even some grounds in the bottom of the cup. Strange memories this evening. Old memories. Memories she didn't even think would return. Though something was itching at the back of her head. Something off about this scene. One… Two. Someone was missing. But she couldn't remember. _Oh well. It'll come back sooner or later,_ she thought to herself. Everything seemed calm. There was her, sitting by herself. Over to her left was a lizard man sipping coffee too. Nothing bizarre there. Io was sitting on top of a rolled up carpet that had someone else stuffed into it. _Okay…Maybe things are a little off._

"Hey…" a voice called out.

Ellipsis turned. It was the Lizard man, staring at her again.

"You okay there?"

Ellipsis nodded her head.

"You're too much like the other one. All quiet and silent." The lizard man smiled at her. "Names Ridley. And you would be?"

"Uh…" The name came to her head but she couldn't say it. "…" More silence as she stared into the empty cup she held in her hand.

"Ellipsis…. Her name is Ellipsis." Io said calmly.

"Cute name for a silent folk eh?" Ridley said.

Io gave a grunt as she glared at Ridley. Ridley saw this and gave a slight chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Io barked at Ridley.

"Question. How old are you?" Ridley said towards Ellipsis. Ellipsis gave no answer.

"Another question…"

"Ridley…." Io said with frustration in her voice. She had already put position herself to leap at him.

"Do you know the terms and condition of the contract you are in?"

"That's it!" Io shouted as she leaped across and tackled Ridley. Io started punching Ridley in the face. Ridley did nothing to stop her.

"Conditions….." Ellipsis said as she watched Io toss Ridley across the room.

"Yes. Terms and conditions of the contract you are in. It's written all over your skin." Ridley said as he sat up for a brief moment before flying pieces of debris came through the air and smashed him in his face.

"Leave her alone you creep!" Io yelled.

"Okay….ow…You win…." Ridley said as he crawled out from under the ruble that piled on top of him.

"No wait…What do you mean?" Ellipsis said as she got up from her seat, not realizing the coat had slipped off.

"Uhh…." Ridley paused for a moment at the scene. Ellipsis stood before him, naked. But she didn't seem to notice nor care.

"What do these mean?" Ellipsis said as she stared at the markings on her body.

"Uhh….." Ridley swallowed nervously. "It's a binding contract. The markings all over your body are….are…well it's a copy of the contract in a way."

"What does it say?" She said frantically.

"Umm…." Ridley glanced around for a bit then back at Ellipsis. "It's an exchange contract. One soul for another."

"One soul….for another? Well what in the blazes does that mean?"

"One soul for another. One soul for your own. Someone exchange their soul for yours."

"What!? Who?" Ellipsis snapped at Ridley.

Ridley's eyebrows rose. "Wow. You're pissed."

"Yeah I am! This is the first time I've heard of this."

"Wow….How old are you again?" Before Ellipsis could answer Io tossed a rock over her head and crashed right into Ridley's.

"Enough already!" Io shouted as she walked over to Ellipsis and wrapped Ridley's coat around her. Ridley laid on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. A bit of blood trickled down his nose but that didn't seem to bother him. It wasn't the first time someone has chuckled random objects at his head and deep down he knew it wouldn't be the last. Io led Ellipsis back to her seat and sat her down.

"What did that freak mean?" Io said as she sat down with Ellipsis. Ellipsis didn't say anything. She just stared at the ground.

"Long time." Ellipsis said.

"Huh?" Io said with confusion.

"It's been a very long time for me. It's been so long that I lost track of how old I actually am." Ellipsis gave a tiny smile.

"So what… like a thousand years?"

"More than that."

"Damn."

Deep inside the compound Nyssia was chasing something. This thing that she was tracking, was small and had pointed horns on its head. It ran from Nyssia in fright as she shot at it. The little creature was cornered. It tried scratching the walls. As a silhouette appeared in front of it, it coward in fear. Nyssia stared at the creature before her. Here it was. The one thing that scared her to death. All of those sleepless nights. Countless hours of fear induced panic. And yet, here it was. The cause of the nightmares themselves, cowering in the comer like a small animal. She could feel her heart race and her blood pumping through her veins. She quickly glanced around, no one else was to be seen. She looked at the revolver in her hand. That would be too easy for her. She walked up to the small black creature and grasp her hands around it throat. It started to squeal in pain. It tried to bite and scratch but failed at every attempted to free itself from Nyssia's grasp. She stared at the creature and began to slowly tighten her grip. With each scream she tighten it even more. A smile crept across her face. The creature suddenly went limp. " _Was it dead?"_ She thought to herself. It didn't move. She dropped it to the floor. She kicked it around a few times. Was it truly dead? She didn't know. It appeared to be dead. She picked it up one more time and hurled it across the room. Black goo splattered on the concrete wall and the sound of bone snapping emitted from the lifeless corpus. It was dead. The nightmare was over. Nyssia let out a sigh of relief. It was over. Her shoulder's felt lighter, her hands trembled. "Oh what a day." She said to herself.

In front of her was a large metal door that looked somewhat familiar. She has seen lots of metal doors around this place but this one in particular rang a few bells. She slide the door open and dropped to her knees. Inside was a large room filled with metal storage shelves. And upon those shelves were wooden boxes with words like 'Danger' and 'Explosive' written on the side. Her jaw dropped and her hands trembled with anticipation. She then took off running to the nearest box and tearing the top off. Inside the first box she came across an assortment of high explosives. She ran around the room until she stopped dead in her tracks. This was one thing she didn't expect to see in a place like this. It was Busbus, all clean and shiny. Something was different about Busbus. Though the damages it had earlier were gone. It had some new additions. There was some strange metal plate on the side of the tires with thick metal tubes leading inside the bus. On the back looked like someone welding to mufflers with the tail end facing behind the bus. All of these rustled Nyssia's curiosity but something else crossed her mind in that moment. She paused and started to pat herself down. The goons took the key she had to Busbus, but luckily for her she had a second key hidden somewhere. She started to pat herself down more rapidly. A look of confusion was painted across her face. She then proceeded to take off her shirt and shake it. Then she took off the rest of her clothes until she was naked. Then she heard a cling. It was the key. She had it in her left pocket the entire time. She shrugged it off and ran over to Busbus and unlocked the door. Inside Busbus everything that Nyssia originally had scattered around was clean off. No more trinkets and no more random bullets rolling across the floor. This put her on edge. She hopped in the driver's seat hoping to find some sort of nostalgia. But there wasn't. It was all new. The control panel to her left didn't have wires sticking out that occasionally shocked her from time to time. This was truly something strange. She decided to turn Busbus on. It started. The dashboard lit up with new flashing lights. Strange noises erupted from the engine. Busbus rumbled and roared. Nyssia felt like she was in unknown territory.

"Oh my friend. What have they done to you?" She said with a sigh. She fiddled with some of the new buttons for bit until she came across the strange lever sticking out. Suddenly the bus roared even louder and smoke started rising from outside. Before Nyssia realized what had happened the bus started to levitate above the ground. Busbus swayed and swerved through the air, knocking over everything in its path. It was a thrill. Nyssia frantically started pushing every button that she had in front of her. The bus swayed even more towards the wall and crashed through.

At that exact moment, Ridley was pondering if anything else was going to happen to him today. Just then the wall suddenly comes crashing down next to him. "Fuck…" is all he said casually as he stared up at the floating bus.

Io was speechless as well as Ellipsis. Both were amazed at the sight. Busbus swing a bit and finally landed. Dust in the surrounding area flew into the sky and finally settled.

"Hey guys! Look who I found!" Nyssia said as she waved frantically.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The wind was cool. A gentle breeze brushed past Samantha's face as she help Jane down the hill. With her eyes wrapped up, Jane took every step down with extreme caution. Samantha was speechless at the scenery all around her. The white arch that stretched across the dark blue sky glowed with a heavy white light. The area was quite for a moment before the sounds of laughter and gunfire erupted from the small village nearby. This was an unusual place they were in. The grass was blue and the trees appeared to sprout fruit that gave off a slight yellow glow. And though the sky was filled with many stars instead of one moon, there were several. Several small dark creatures ran away from their presence and hid amongst the trees. But despite these strange appearance of everything, it seemed peaceful. Off in the distance, very large ships raced across the sky. Some of them landed near the small village where Samantha and Jane were heading. The roar of the engine ripped apart the silence as one of took off from the small village and blasted its way into the sky.

As they walked closer to the small village a sign greeted them. It was made of metal and rusted. The words on the sign were illegible as they have not only been slashed but also shot at as well. Seconds later an explosion occurred nearby that was so great enough that the sign fell to pieces on the ground.

"Promising, I'm sure." Samantha said.

"What just happened?" Jane asked curiously.

"An omen, I'm sure." Samantha replied.

Upon entering the town they were greeted by the sight of chaos all around them. There were people singing and drinking. Barrels of ale were tossed around on the ground. The smell of liquor filled the air. The small village itself was very much alive. But there was something very unusual. There were tiny hairy people running around. Some with long noses and some with big feet. Other people were much taller and greener with pointed teeth sticking out. And there were even small people jumping around that had long snouts and scales with long tails and sharp looking teeth. The entire event that took place around them happened so fast Samantha didn't notice the runaway horse that ran up to her and leaped over her head. Suddenly they were approached by a large man that was green and hunched over.

"Oy! Who do ya think ya are settin' foot around here, eh?" The man said with a grunt. He smelled of alcohol and sweat.

"Excuse me." Samantha said as she backed away from the grotesque figure.

"Ya heard me ya fucking elf! With your fancy clothes and your fancy tongue. Piss off! Or I'll throw you off myself." The large green man was getting irritated. He moved closer.

Jane felt terrified. She couldn't see the man but she could very well hear and smell him. Samantha on the other hand seemed a bit upset.

"What the hell are you talking about you big green oaf!?" She spat out. Frustration inside of her was growing and she started to feel a familiar tingle in her finger tips.

The large green man stumbled forward and reached out with his huge sweaty hands. Suddenly something from behind him swiped his head. The green man stumbled for a bit and fell over. There standing before them was a much smaller man. He was round with a full beard. In his hands he held a hammer. He smiled.

"Pardon this poor excuse for a gentleman. I do hope you both don't mind my intrusion in these affairs of yours but I felt it was necessary." He said as he stood prideful over his intrusion.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for that." Samantha said hesitantly.

"Anytime!" He shouted with glee. "Say, I reckon you two are not from anywhere near here are ya?" He said inquisitively.

"Umm...no."

"Perfect! Than it shall be I to show you around these wonderful parts of our fair city! First off, a proper introduction is necessary. My name is Captain Pots. I run a small bandit of traders of fine goods and services. All at reasonable prices."

"Is he trying to sell us something or am I just blind?" Jane whispered to Samantha.

"He sounds suspicious."

"My names Samantha and this is Jane." Samantha said.

"Ah wonderful! Now over here we have our finest establishment of fine wines, food and entertainment." Captain Pots said as he pointed to the building on the left which was one of the few buildings within plain sight that wasn't on fire or burnt down. "Please join me for food and beverage. I would be honored."

"Really creepy guy." Samantha whispered to Jane.

"Quite so." Jane replied.

"I could use some food." Samantha said out loud. Jane hesitated for a moment.

"Excellent!" Captain Pots said as he marched towards the building.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Jane said.

"Me too." Replied Samantha.

Upon entering the building, they could hear loud music playing. As they entered the building they were greeted with sounds of cheer and laughter. The room was strangely lit with a blue glow as all of the candles sprouted blue flames that danced in the wind. More strange figures sat around tables, drinking thick orange goo from glass mugs.

"Ah Mister Pots. The usual table I presume." A metal box on wheels appeared before them, wearing a small black bow tie. Its center eye adjusted towards Samantha and Jane.

"Table for three is it?" It asked.

"Indeed Caprime, indeed!"

They were led by the strange mental box to probably the only clean table in the area that was draped with a silk red cloth. Samantha and Jane took their seats. Samantha stared at Caprime, speechless. She was quite fascinated at the sight of a machine that could not only moved on its own but none the less speak on its own.

"And now my dears. Let's move on to business at hand." Captain pots said in a very low tone. The atmosphere suddenly changed. Jane seemed worried but Samantha glared at Captain Pots.

"I understand that you are not from these parts. I also have come to believe that you two are neither Elves nor Elven spies."

Silence fell.

"My question is to the both of you. Where do you come from?" Captain Pots said as he leaned in on the table.

"Well where we are from there certainly isn't any bright arch stretching across the sky." Samantha said

Captain pots remained silent.

"I have never seen any of this stuff before and where exactly is the sun? It's so dark around here."

"The sun?" Captain Pots said curiously.

"There is no 'sun' here. And it's always dark here. Hmmm…." Captain Pots sat with his eyes closed.

"Would your friend there mind if she took off her bandages?"

Jane quickly wrapped her hands around the bandages that covered her eyes.

"What good will that do?" Samantha demanded.

"If you are from where I think you are from, I may be able to help you, only because I don't want to see those pointy eared bastards to win."

"Win what?" Jane asked frantically.

"The war of course."

"War?" Jane and Samantha said simultaneously.

"Yes, the war. A long time ago, the elves were a peaceful race. They stayed within their tradition of hiding in there hippie tree houses. But one day that changed and now they are close to conquering the entire continent. The forest has been mutated into strange sludge trees and the seas have been tarnish and smell like cinnamon. "

"Cinnamon?" Jane asked.

"Aye. Terrible smell it is." Captain Pots said as he nodded in agreement. "Anyway, there are only a few cities left that are not under occupation. And this is one of them."

Samantha and Jane remained silent. This was a bit of a shock to them. But the one question that ran through their minds was, 'How much of this is really true?'

There moment of silence was interrupted by a shadowy figure that approached them as if from nowhere.

"Greetings!" the figure said. "Khjario wishes his blessings upon you and asks if you would be interested in purchasing some fine ware." The figure was cloak in a hood and his voice sounded a bit raspy.

"Not now Khjario! Business is at hand!" Captain Pots said in an aggressive tone as he reached for the figure and pulled the hood down. There before them stood a lizard person, standing there with an eager look in its eye. Khjario stared at Captain Pots with his yellow eyes and then looked over to Samantha and Jane.

"Ah. Can Khjario offer the nice ladies some earrings? Made with real gold they are yes. Khjario sells only the finest quality. Starting at only ten gold, no more no less." Khjario proclaimed towards Samantha and Jane as he held out a pair of golden earrings that shined in the light.

"Khjario…." It was obvious at this point that Captain Pots was getting irate.

"Five gold! No more, no less." Khjario blurred out. "Khjario will even throw in a nice pocket watch, made with the finest materials from the Photonic Sphere." Khjario reached into his coat pockets and pulled out a golden watch and held it in the air. Samantha's face suddenly transformed from annoyed to shock. She's seen that watch before. There, dangling before her, a feint tune came to her head. It was nice. It was sweet and yet haunting. It was the kind of tune that would send shivers down your spine and yet it was gentle, it was sweet. And suddenly it hit her. As she sprang into action, snatching the watch straight out of Khjario's hand she opened it up. Inside was a small picture. There was a young girl and a young boy and an older man standing behind them. It was at this moment the world around her slowly stopped. For the briefest of moments she heard her father's voice speak to her.

'Samantha…Please…find Ridley…you only have each other now.' And with that the world around her slowly came back to life. Jane seemed a bit worried at the scene. Captain Pots was arguing with Khjario suddenly ending the encounter with the lizard by Captain Pots grabbing Khjario by the collar and tossing him across the way and landing on top of table where he proceed his sales pitch another group of people.

"There, now we can talk in peace." Captain Pots said as he sat back down in his seat. He didn't take notice to the watch Samantha was holding on to nor the tear in her eye.

"As stated before we were so rudely interrupted. I propose that you two leave this area soon and possible this world as well."

"I'm sorry?" Jane said in confusion.

"You need to get back to the Photonic Sphere. Go home! Leave this place before the elves find you."

"Now why would it be so bad if the elves found us?" Jane asked

"Well for one they'd kill you." Captain Pots said in a harsh tone. "And second your friend there is a Mythic."

"A what?"

"She is a Mythic. One who is in tune with the nature of the Umbral Sphere."

"I'm sorry. I'm still confused."

"Are you blind and stupid!?" Captain Pots shouted.

"Are you drunk and so unrefined that the concept of foreigners in your dingy little world is so appalling that you would spat out insults like some mangy mutt barking at a feline?" Jane said calmly.

Captain Pots paused for a moment while trying to process what he just heard.

"Very well." He said with a grunt. "An old legend says that the Umbral Sphere was created by a powerful wizard. This wizard was so powerful that he gave life to everything here. After his work was done he sealed himself deep underground. But his magic is still coming through the ground and affecting the world around us. Some who can harness this magic and use it are called Mythics as their power is derive from a mythical being. The wizard." Captain Pots pauses for a moment and takes another drink from his tankard. "Unfortunately it is the same power that the elves of this world is trying to harvest. And with that, nothing could stop them from taking this world or your own. There is an elite from at work here called the Shadow's Hand. And they wish to restore power and rule over this world and the Photonic Sphere, just like they did many years ago. "

"Wait. They did this before?" Samantha asked.

"Aye! With a vampire of all creatures. No offense to any but trying to force a vampire to work for them as a standing official in the Photonic Sphere was a bad idea. That reign fell really fast. Less than twenty years."

"A vampire?" Jane muttered.

"Is there an echo in here?" Captain Pots said as he placed his tankard down on the table. For a brief moment there was silence in the tavern. Then a loud bell started to ring. Everyone inside paused their activities for a moment and listen. Then suddenly a small person rushes into the tavern screaming.

"The elves are here! They're at the beaches!" Everyone immediately stood up as one and drew weapons. Some had swords. Others had axes. But every single one of them looked ready. In a flash they all stormed out of the tavern. Sounds of swords clinging together and gunfire going off could be heard. Screams of pain and roars of victory echoed through the streets. Captain Pots stood up and stared at the two.

"I think it's time for us to take our leave."

Before they knew it they were being led out the back door of the tavern to the outside. Samantha remained silent while Jane held onto her arm hoping not to trip over anything. As they were led down the street they saw soldiers in black armor fighting with a horde of angry citizens. The citizens were brandishing everyday items like buckets and brooms while their adversaries were armed with swords and shields. Blood was being spilled all over the street as the soldiers in black continued their rampage against the populace. Captain Pots lead the two further and further towards the shore where they boarded his ship.

The smell was foul. The stench burned the nostriels of Jane and Samantha as they staggered onto the ship. The ship was a three mast caravel with huge engines attached to the back of the ship.

"Ladies….You may want to hold onto something." Captain Pots instructed as he ran for the helm. Samantha looked around and, along with jane, went below deck. Underneath there were several more creatures sleeping soundly in hammocks. Soon a loud bell rang and Captain Pot's voice could be heard.

"Gentleman this is your captain speaking. We have seemed to end shore leave prematurely. I assured you compensation will be given. Now all hands on deck and prepare for lift off! I would also like to mention we have two very special guests on board today. Please show them the kindness that you would show me. Thank you!" And with that the ship started to rumble all around. Barrels started to topple over and sleeping crewmen were suddenly tossed about and quickly ran up the stairs to top deck.

"Uh…lift off?" Jane said in a disturbed tone.

On the deck of the ship crewmen were running around getting ready to lift off. Tiny hairy men worked below the deck securing large crystals in containers with red and blue wires stretching out from it. The containers glowed bright yellow and green as the ship continued to convulse. On the top the crew was beginning to turn a giant cog. As the cog turned a thin metal rod stretched out far beyond the masts of the ship.

"Shield generator active captain!" said a tiny lizardman.

"Good! Make way for the outer sphere!" Captain Pots shouted.

As the engines in the back of the ship roared to life many of the soldiers in black took noticed. As the ship started to hover some on the shore started to light blue flares. Off in the distance more ships could be seen. They unloaded a hail of gunfire at the ships in the harbor. As the large ball of blue flame impacted one of the ships docked, it exploded with such force that pieces of the ship flew into town. The ship that Samantha and Jane were on didn't get hit. Because as the large ball of blue death came down on them it suddenly broke apart and dissolved. A cloud of purple haze filled the sky. It smelled of raspberries. The ship shot off into the sky.

Below the ship on the ground, the entire town was lit up with gulfs of blue fire. As they ship reached the clouds and broke through the entire crew cheered and danced.

"Oi! Enough of ya singing! We got a ring to navigate!" Captain Pots shouted out as the crewmen returned to their tasks. It was at this time Samantha and Jane emerged from below deck and observed their surroundings.

The air was crisp and cold. The sky was lit up with stars as well as the large bright white arched that stretched across the sky. Samantha found her way towards Captain Pots.

"Ah! I see that you fine ladies are alright yes?"

"Captain Pots, what is that?" Samantha said as she pointed towards the bright arch.

"Ah! That's our destination. It is a highway for ships like mine. We sail across the sky along it."

"What is it made of?"

"Soul Crystals."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yes! Soul Crystals. You see, because the Umbral Sphere generates enough magic to create and sustain life it also has an effect on souls. It pushes the souls off the world and into the outer sphere. There the souls freeze and crystalize into a hand size…uhhhh crystal. Best part of this process is that amount of magic that gets contained inside the crystal. It is so powerful that many of us have used it to power our machines." Captain Pots said with pride.

"Oh…" Samantha said curiously.

"As soon as we reached the outer sphere we will redirect our course."

"To where?"

"Like I said, you two do not belong here. I feel that the only person who can help you get back to the Photonic Sphere is the wizard at the center of the Umbral Sphere."

"But isn't he a myth?"

"You cast magic yes? You've seen things that are only spoken about in legends yes? I'm willing to bet my entire life's savings that the wizard of the Umbral Sphere exist."

"But where can we find him?"

"Towards the northern province of the Umbral Sphere pass the Visconeian Mountains, there is an area that is said to house the hole in the world. Which legend says is the only way to the wizard."

"Let me guess." Jane spoke out as she crawled up towards them on her hands and knees. "The area is guarded by a beast that only the purest of hearts will they allow access to the wizard, where we will have to answer his riddles in order to get back home." Jane said sarcastically.

"You read too many fairy tales." Captain Pots replied.

"But you are just going off of only legends here aren't you?" Samantha said.

"Aye!"

Jane tugged on Samantha's pant leg and whispered, "Can we truly trust him and what he claims?"

"Do we have any other choice?"

And with that Jane turned away and sat down. It was going to be a bit of a journey. As they returned below deck they both pondered the circumstances they found themselves in. Samantha sat on a barrel and looked out of the window in silence while Jane sat on the floor next to her. Moments passed before one of them spoke.

"Samantha?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a brother?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Fifteen years had gone by since that day. Nothing really mattered anymore. Her family was killed. The entire village was feasted upon. And here she sat, queen of the damned with thousands of souls at her disposal. An army of darkness at her command. All the luxury and wealth she ever dreamed of. But what do you call a dream that turns sour and becomes rotten. This was no dream for her. It was a nightmare. She got up from her throne and gazed out the large window. The sun hasn't shinned in over fifteen years. It was truly an age of darkness.

"My Queen!" A shrill voice called out. It was a tiny green goblin. He scurried his way over to Ellipsis who glared down at him. "My Queen I have some bad news." He said nervously.

"Go on." Ellipsis said in a dry tone. She didn't care. It was another day of hell for her. The one thing she wished for more than anything was simply death. Something she couldn't do herself.

"The humans are revolting. They have gathered outside the castle." The tiny green goblin had said as he put his hands up as if he was expecting to be smacked.

This caught Ellipsis attention. She peered outside of her window. A little smirk stretched across her face.

"Maybe today will be different. I do hope so."

"NOOOooOOOooOOOOOOooooo!" An ear piercing scream brought Ellipsis's back to the present.

"Leave Busbus alone! He didn't do anything this time!" Nyssia screamed out as Io held her back. Ridley was underneath the bus with a bunch of tools.

"Hey. Make sure you hold on her tight I don't want to have to get a tetanus shot." Ridley said.

"What are you doing to the bus anyway?" Io questioned as she struggled to hold back a very fidgety Nyssia.

"I'm trying to figure out what the hell these clowns in fancy blue monkey suits did to a perfectly good 1966 bluebird school bus." Ridley said as he sat up and tossed a wrench to the side. "My only guess is that they converted the bottom layer into a hovercraft using some kind of system that I have never seen before. They rewired the entire control panel and replaced the navigational system with a neuron reading system that consists of gel. Of course the only way that is feasible is if they flooded the entire system with nanite riddled gel."

Everyone paused for a moment. Nyssia had stopped squirming. Io looked dazed. And Ellipsis didn't blink. Ridley didn't even noticed the brief moment of silence as he lit a cigarette in his mouth. "They also took out the stick shift and replaced it with a crappy automatic system." Ridley then turned to see everyone gawking at him.

"What? You though Sam Clam there was the only one in the family interested in machines? HA! We learned most of our stuff from our old man. A bit of a cuckoo really. Electrocuted himself a few times when he was younger and fried his brain; heavy drinker as well. But a good man, a good man." Ridley than paused for a moment as his eye lowered. "You do realize that you are naked right?" He said as he looked at Nyssia who was still naked. Io suddenly realized this too as a look of absolute shock struck her face.

"Nyssia!" Io shouted as she let go of Nyssia's arms. "Where the hell are your clothes?"

"Over there." Nyssia said as she pointed to the room beyond the destroyed wall.

"Why the hell are you naked!?"

"I needed to find my spare bus key."

"Which required you to take off your clothes?"

"Uh huh."

"And yet you left them there?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

Nyssia stood in silence as her eyeballs wander around in circles, trying to find a perfectly logical explanation. But alas none was found and she replied with a simple shrug.

"What is with you people and your lack of clothing?" Ridley said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Hey! I'm not naked you freak!" Io shouted out to him.

"You've been running around barefooted and in sweatpants and a tank top since I met you." Ridley than turned to Ellipsis who has been watching this entire time in silence. "You, I can understand. They probably got dissolved along with the rest of your skin."

"You insensitive, cold hearted bastard." Io yelled at him.

"And you. Well you're just crazy." Ridley said as he pointed at Nyssia who only smiled and giggled at him. "Whatever. It's none of my business anyway." Ridley let out a long sigh as he walked off into the next room. Ellipsis would soon follow him. As she entered the dark room she saw Ridley up near the ceiling lying on a large pipe. The glow from the cigarette lit up his yellow eyes in the darkness followed by a puff of smoke.

"Privacy isn't a thing to you people either huh." He said in a monotone voice.

"Your family…" Ellipsis said as she looked up at Ridley.

"What about them?"

"Why did you leave?"

Ridley turned away from Ellipsis. He was not in a very talkative mood. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and twirled it around his fingers for a bit before putting it back in his mouth. He didn't even noticed Ellipsis as she walked over to the wall and started to walk up it. It certainly surprised him when he turned and suddenly she was lying on the wall right next to him as if she was lying on the floor. Even her hair had somehow managed to defy gravity. He was stunned at the scene but quickly turned away as if it didn't affect him in anyway.

"I didn't leave on my own accord if that's what you are wondering."

"Long story?"

"A bit of a long one, yes."

"Tell it."

Ridley looked back at her. He had never met this woman before. She just lied on the wall there staring at him. Though she was still covered in his duster he could still see the fact that her entire body was coated in black tattoos.

"A very long time ago." He started. "My family owed some very powerful people money. In an exchange for relieving our family of debt, I was offered a small job. Simple task really. Go to place A. Take item A and bring it to place B. Upon entering place A, I was under surveillance. Whatever was watching me obviously didn't take too kindly to me stealing item A from place A. At which I was transported out of the world I knew and thrown into a completely new world. In short kid. I tried to do something right for once in my life with my family instead of just petty thieving. I never really wanted to leave. And since then I've been trying to find my way back. And now I am so close, I can almost taste it. Seeing my sister get taken away from me like that just pissed me off. It's like you are so close to the end of your journey then suddenly have the entire ground open up right underneath you and you just fall into an abyss." Ridley took another puff out of his cigarette. "Anyway, that's my tale. What about yours Blu?"

Ellipsis turned her head away for a moment. "My story is a bit complicated."

"Ain't that the truth" Ridley said as he chuckled to himself.

"It started many years ago. I was about fifteen and I helped my friend escape from my village. They were going to perform a sacrificial ritual and she was the one chosen. But she was pregnant and I didn't want to see my friend die. So in an act of desperation I switch with her and offered myself. Unfortunately the circumstances that followed were not so pleasant. I died and yet I didn't. If that makes sense. I came back but I wasn't my usual self…"

"You became a vampire."

"Yeah…" Ellipsis hesitated for a bit and continued. "I was then forced to rule a kingdom of darkness for my deceit. Whoever or whatever the ritual was for figured out I wasn't the one who was supposed to be sacrificed. Heh. Bet it stung for him or her or it or fuck…I don't know. That was more than five thousand years ago. Most of the stuff in between is all hazy now. Over the years I grew less and less emotional. Once you see your lover grow old and die while your own child accuses you of being a witch and drives you from the town you start to not give a fuck anymore."

"You had a kid?"

"Yeah…It's been ages. I don't even remember his name or what he looks like. What about you, any young scales of your own?"

"No clue. Most defiantly though." Ridley said with a chuckle as he tossed his cigarette on the ground. "Well…sentiment moment is over. Thanks." And with that Ridley hopped down from the pipe. He then turned to look at Ellipsis who was still on the wall staring out into the distance. "You know, I may hate kings and stuff like that. But you're not like them. You're not like any of them. You're okay." And with that, Ridley walked out. Ellipsis paused for a moment and reflected on the words that just passed between each other. She soon jumped down from the wall and followed after only to be smacked in the face by a pair of pants and a shirt.

"Here. Don't think he's gonna need it anymore." Ridley said as he lightly kicked a dead body. "You!" Ridley shouted at Nyssia. "Get a shirt on at least." Ridley walked over to the bus and took a good look at the outside. His eyes suddenly perked.

"How did my sister get here by the way?" Ridley said as he looked at Io.

"I don't know. She used some kind of magical crystal thing that she had inside the bus."

"Okay…"

"Yeah we traveled through time with it."

"My baby sister build a time machine…out of a school bus?"

"It was kind of a desperate move considering our situation at the time." Ellipsis interrupted as she adjusting the belt on her pants. "But yeah, she turned a school bus into a time machine."

The look Ridley had on his face turned from bewilderment to more of a prideful look. "Well little Sam Clam, I'm impressed."

"Now." Ridley said as he clapped his hands together. "This crystal you mention. Where is it now?"

"Uhh…" Io didn't have a clear answer. None of them did. It was all fuzzy. Everything turned upside down when the invisible creature attacked.

"OH, OH, OH, OH! I know where it is!" Nyssia blared out.

"You do?" Io said. She was afraid of what would come out of Nyssia's mouth next. Whenever Nyssia was in that kind of mood it was no telling what was going to happen next. This of course made Io very uncomfortable as anything was bound to happen next.

"Yeah! It's on the floor back at that thinga-ma-bob where the do daddy thingy came out and took blondie and red away."

Ridley stared expressionlessly for a moment before turning his head and saying, "You guys understood that right?"

"Unfortunately." Io said with a sigh.

It wouldn't take long to retrace their steps back to the cave where they first came out of. Getting through the rocks and debris however, proved to be quite the trial. After a while of toing in the dirt and rocks it suddenly occurred to Ridley of the large arsenal that Nyssia was holding onto within the confines of her bus. She was reluctant to give up a single grenade at first but Ridley was able to sway her with the idea of a big enough explosion that it could shake the ground. By using his basic knowledge of explosives that he learned while on his journeys, Ridley wired a few handfuls of explosives all throughout the area of the cave. Launching an RPG round into the cave from a not so safe distance was able to destroy the obstacles that lay before them. Nyssia smiled with glee at the sight. It was a beautiful spectacle and she started to jump with excitement. No words were expressed from Nyssia, just a maniacal laugh.

The explosion knocked Ridley on his back. But he just picked himself up and dusted off his coat. Io had her hands over her ears and took cover behind a fallen tree. This did not seem to faze Ellipsis. If there was anything that she had learned today it was if being crammed in a vat of acid didn't kill her a mild explosion will do nothing. She stood a bit farther back from Ridley but still a head of the rest of the crew.

Io would soon emerge and glare at the sight with distaste.

"I hate explosions." Io muttered as she picked herself up.

"Very few problems cannot be solved with enough high explosives." Ridley said with a chuckle as he picked up the RPG and handed it back to Nyssia who looked at Ridley like he was a famous baseball player who just gave her his lucky bat.

Deep inside the cave the floor was riddled with debris. The walls were still cracked but the floor was smooth. An aura of shame and guilt hung on the shoulders of the few who were there, except Nyssia. She bounced around and picked up random rocks and started tossing them everywhere. Meanwhile, Io and Ridley retraced their steps around the cave. Something caught Ellipsis's eye and drew her to the statue. Her eyes grew wide with fright as the statue stared into her soul. She was enthralled with fear. And then it hit her. She remembered that moment of her death. She remembered the terrifying face she saw. A shiver ran down her spine. She looked towards the wall in shame. But the wall was as comforting as the statue. The depictions of the story that were laid across the wall made her sick to her stomach. She knew the kind of people that lay dead upon the ground with their blood tarnishing the floor.

"This is my fault." Ellipsis said.

"What are you blaming yourself for now again?" Ridley said as he examined a rock before tossing it over his shoulder.

"It was me they wanted. The ritual they were performing. They were trying to resurrect me." Ellipsis said as her shoulders slouched.

"Resurrect an already resurrected undead vampire queen. Heh sounds something like a crazy cult would do." Ridley said. Io glared at Ridley, already holding a rock firm in her hand. But she only sighed and unclenched her fist. Fighting at a time like this wasn't going to solve anything.

"If they were looking for you or trying to bring you back from the dead, then doesn't that mean that they didn't know you were here?" Io said with confusion.

"Good point." Ridley said.

"But it's still my fault."

"Oh quit beating yourself over something you couldn't control. If they were to find you I'm sure they would have kissed your feet and murdered an entire village just for you." Ridley blared out with a sigh.

"Despite what the lizard is saying, he's right Ellipsis. It would have been much worse if they found you." Io said.

"But then who brought me back?" Ellipsis said with confusion.

"Found it!" shouted a familiar voice from across the room. It was Nyssia; she was jumping up and down and hopping on one foot while holding a bright blue crystal.

Ridley glanced at the crystal and then suddenly back up.

"Whoa there. Where did you get that?" He said with shock in his eyes.

"That's the crystal Samantha used to transport us here." Ellipsis commented.

"Bullshit. Something like that cannot exist here and even so…oh you poor thing." Ridley walked over and carefully took the stone out of Nyssia's hands. He looked for a bit into the crystal in silence then he held it up.

"This is a soul crystal; made from a living being from the Umbral Sphere. Confined in magic of the highest degree and crystalize, the soul is preserved inside."

"What?" Io said.

"There's a soul in there and it's still alive?" Ellipsis asked.

Ridley said nothing, only nodded.

"I'm not using this." Ridley said as he placed the crystal in Io's hand. "We'll find another way to the Umbral Sphere but I don't want to abuse another living entity like that."

"So murder and mayhem is nothing but you won't use a soul stone to find your sister?" Io said as she held up the stone.

"Everyone has a line that they don't cross. I've defiantly reached it."

Io stared at him as he turned his back on her.

"What if there was a way to ask permission, than would you help?" Io said as she looked at the stone as if she expected an answer from the stone rather than from Ridley.

Ridley only chuckled. "Heh, I don't know. Ask it yourself."

Io looked at the strange stone. This was the first time she ever truly gazed at it. Though it had a few cracks and dents in it, it was still pretty much smooth. There was something strange about it but Io couldn't figure out what it was. As she held the stone, suddenly a tune came into her ear. It was a soft tune, a gentle tune, a haunting tune. The kind of tune that can ease one's troubled soul yet send shivers down their spine. It was this tune that Io realized what Ridley meant by 'a living entity'. No doubt he could hear the tune too. But he wasn't going to help. Not now at least. Io continued to stare at the stone in a state of confusion. She was awestruck by it. The tune, the sight, and the swirl design that curled up in the center; It was truly something out of this world.

"Uh...Hello. Person in the stone…We really would like to ask you for…Uh help here...My friends are missing and I was wondering if…umm…we could use your magic thingy to make us…or…it work out…and stuff." Io stuttered her words for a bit. Struck with confusion, she stared at the stone, feeling embarrass. Ridley started to laugh to himself over in the corner. "This is rich." Ridley said as he laughed.

"Shut up lizard breath!" And without thinking Io threw the stone at Ridley. The stone sailed through the air with ease. But before the stone impacted Ridley's face it was intercepted by Ellipsis who dove from the side just in time to catch it and land on her shoulder. Everyone for a moment including Nyssia was stunned at the scene. For a split second Ellipsis was in one place and suddenly there she was out of nowhere. Io ran up to Ellipsis who was still on the ground curled up with the stone.

"How did you do that?" Io asked as she help Ellipsis up.

"I move really fast." Ellipsis said as she smiled.

"A common trait shared by vampires I'm sure. Nice catch though." Ridley commented.

"Thanks. And I have an idea." Ellipsis said as she held up the crystal.

It would take a bit of time before they got back to the compound where they set up camp and it would take longer for Ellipsis to find the right tool she had in mind for this. Packed away and hidden in a storage unit was an old acoustic guitar. The wood was worn and the last string was missing. But it sounded just right after harmonizing. Ellipsis placed the stone on the ground and told everyone to back away and be quiet. Everyone watched in anticipation as Ellipsis cracked her knuckles and started playing. The idea, as she explained beforehand, was to synchronize with the tune emitting from the crystal. As she played the same tune continuously, the stone in the center started to glow. The tune suddenly grew louder and louder. The wind started to pick up around them. Bright balls of light shot up into the air and circled around the group finally ended by forming together above the crystal. Ellipsis continued to play. The bright blue entity started to take a humanoid form. Though facial features were not formed, Ellipsis could feel the entity smiling down on her. Then a voice came to them. It was a soft voice yet it echoed as if it was underwater.

"It has been so long, since I've heard that tune. I thank you." The voice called out as the entity bowed before Ellipsis.

"Psst…All yours Io." Ellipsis said as she slowly moved back. Ellipsis didn't know why at the time but there was something familiar about that voice. But she wasn't in the right state of mind to be concern with old friends and lost memories, some things are best left forgotten she would say to herself. Io stared blankly at the glowing blue person that floated before her. She was suddenly at a loss for words. "What are you waiting for you big chicken. Go on. Talk to it." Ridley whispered. With a single sudden action, Ridley knocked into Io pushing her out in front of the entity.

"I….I…" Io couldn't think of anything.

"Child…Do you wish to save those who you care about?" The voice called out.

"Uh…yes…" Io said nervously.

"And you wish to use my power. To help your lost friends."

"Uh…yes…" Io was trembling with fear. This was something she was not used to. A big guy coming at her in an area she can handle. The guy can be punched around and the only thing he can do to her is punch her back. But this was something brand new. She didn't know what to think of it.

"Very well. I accept the use of my magic." Io gave a sigh. "My only condition is that you all please be careful, wherever you go. Please do not do anything reckless. Please be safe." And with that the blue entity vanished before them. The wind died down. The crystal was silent.

"Well that pretty much sums it up I guess." Ridley said as he walked over and picks up the stone. "Got a lot of work ahead of us. Nice work kid. Ya did it." Ridley said to Io as he punched her in the shoulder. Io could only smile back at him. She didn't feel like hitting him again. It probably wouldn't have hurt him anyway. Io than turned to Ellipsis who was standing stiff with a blank look on her face as if she had seen a ghost.

"Hey Blu!" Io said as she snapped her fingers in front of her. Ellipsis blinked and lightly shook her head. Io gave a concern look.

"Some freaky stuff today eh?" Io said as she smacked Ellipsis on the back.

"Yeah…Real déjà vu." Ellipsis answered.

"I knew it!" A voice cried out from the shadows. What emerges from the darkness was a man all torn up. His face was bloodied and bruised and he was walking with a limp in his leg. Strapped to his chest was several blocks of C4 with wires going all around him. He was holding onto a detonator in his right hand. A grin stretched across his face as he walked towards the group. He was cackling out loud.

"You forgot about me didn't you? Well I have been watching you for a while since you got back. I knew you were evil despite what you told us! HA! Well no more games. Now I am in control."

Everyone backed up as he walked forward. "You're not going anywhere. Not where you can get your friends and bring them here. I won't allow it. No I'm going to take this bus and if anyone tries to stop me I'm going to blow you all up and take you down with me!" He said with a laugh. As he moved through towards the bus no one said a word. They all gazed upon him as he made his way inside the bus.

"Ridley, aren't you going to do anything?" Io whispered.

"Can't; no bullets. Besides, your friend had my gun."

It grew quiet all of a sudden as the group looked upon the bus. And then it occurred to Io as it did to Ellipsis and Ridley. But before anyone could say anything a horrible scream came out from inside the bus. As the never ending screams of pain continued, speckles of blood stained the windows. The bus began to rock back and forth. Giggling soon followed underneath the screams of agony. Suddenly the bus doors burst open and out emerged the man once again, except this time he was bearing what looked like several knives and other random objects protruding from his back. Among the knives were things like a stapler, copper wires, a spoon, a half-eaten potato and imbedded into his spine a long chain that lead back into the bus. As he stumbled from the stairs, falling on the ground, he called out to the spectators.

"Please! For the love of God! Help me!" He called out as he held out his hand for assistance. But the group said nothing. Instead their attention was drawn to the ghostly figure that stood before them in the doorway.

"Where are you going?" It called out. "The fun has just begun" The figure then grabbed on the chain that was attached to the man's back and started to pull on it. "You know it's rude to leave a party when you only just arrive! You don't want to insult the hostess now do you!?"

The man was dragged back into the bus as he screamed. The doors slammed shut. The bus rocked a bit more as blood splattered across the windshield. Everyone stared at one another.

"Uh, let's not piss off your little friend here alright?" Ridley said as he stared at the blood that was being sprinkled on the windows. Everyone gave a silent nod in agreement. They were too scared to say anything else. Soon enough the screaming stopped. And the doors would open. Bouncing out of the bus was Nyssia with a smile on her face. She was humming a tune to herself. She didn't say a word to anyone. Her clothes were bloodied and torn. There were some splats of blood and pieces of meat stuck in her hair but she didn't seem to notice or care. She just skipped away from the scene, slowly taking off her clothes she dug herself into a pile of blankets and fell asleep. After that the scene inside the bus was something out of a horror movie. It was so terrifying even Ridley himself felt sick looking at it. Before the body was disposed of and the rest of the interior was clean the only comment that was ever made was by Io and she said, "There are teeth marks on the bones."

It took some times to clean the bus. Water was something that they couldn't find so easily but it was manageable. After the cleanup, Ridley got to work hooking up the wires of the control panel with the crystal. As he was doing so he explained to Ellipsis and Io was exactly he was trying to accomplish.

"Alright, you know how with a radio you got AM and FM right?" Ridley would say and they both responded with a nod. "What I am trying to do is basically change the frequency of the bus and everyone inside of it to the same tune as the Umbral Sphere."

Io and Ellipsis stared blankly at him. "Okay to put it in perspective. Just think that the world we are in is a type of frequency and the Umbral Sphere is a completely different frequency than our own world. By slightly altering our own frequency to match that of the Umbral Sphere we shall merge with it."

"Like changing a radio station?" Io commented.

"Yes, exactly like that."

"How are you going to do that?" Ellipsis wondered.

"Fuck if I know!" Ridley said with a shrug and a laugh as he pulled out more wires from the control panel. "But I plan on figuring that out soon enough. Now that we have an ultimate source of energy the possibilities are endless."

Both Io and Ellipsis look at one another and gave a sigh. There was nothing more they could do now. Most of what had happened in the past few hours itself had shaken both of them up. Io sat down at the little site they had made. Hearing Nyssia snore made her uncomfortable but she figured it was best that she was sleeping rather than awake and wondering around. Who knows what kind of trouble she would get herself in? Ellipsis sat by herself and started stroking the guitar she found.

That tune kept playing in her head and so she played it on the guitar. It sounded so familiar but she couldn't remember where she had heard it from. It has been a very long journey. She forgot a lot of important stuff. She carried a scrapbook and a journey with her but unfortunately it was lost when she was captured and tortured by the previous occupancies of this complex. The tune helped. It made her feel at peace as if revisiting an old lost friend. As she listened to the tune it was as though she could feel the wind on her face, the warmth of the sun, the feel of grass. And then it suddenly occurred to her where she heard that tune before. It was her tune. It was the same tune she played all those years ago. She paused for a moment, halfway through the song. Hanging on the string, she froze. That voice. She knew.

"Allea" was all that she whispered. She didn't know what to do. But she hesitated. She wanted to see her friend again. But it's been so long. She didn't even recognize her earlier. She just backed away from her like she was just another random phantom. Guilt washed over her like a wave. She sat there on the cold ground, halfway playing her tune. A cold chill ran down her spine.

"Hey!" A voice cried out to her. Ellipsis looked and saw Nyssia sitting next to her, wrapped in a blanket.

"Ya gonna play that or just pose with it?" Nyssia said with a smile.

Ellipsis said nothing, only smiled back and started over with her tune. The smile on Nyssia's face grew as Ellipsis continued to play. She felt her heart sank. But that was nonsense she thought to herself. Her heart hasn't struck a beat in a very long time. But she felt it; the lump in her throat; the shiver down her spine. The deep breath she took which was crazy as well. Vampires don't need to breath. But she did. And even all this happening at once, she still felt calm. She felt warm. It has been ages since they last saw each other. She felt like she took a trip into the past and was back in the field with her friend, playing the lute. If ever there was a hint of magic in this world, this was it. A tear rolled down her face. And yet she smiled. As she strung the guitar, playing her happy tune, her sweat tune, it was like no time had passed at all. The world around her started to slip away. Nothing else mattered. What could there be? The whole place could be on fire and yet she didn't mind. What she had wished for thousands of years ago had finally come to true, she felt alive. All the alcohol and all the drugs in the world couldn't make her feel this way. It was a moment of pure happiness, one that seemed to be eternal. No matter what happened next, as long as she held that tune to herself, everything will be fine; her lost friend will always be with her. She will never be alone. She was happy through the bars of a rhyme.

It wasn't long before Nyssia fell asleep next to Ellipsis. Ellipsis too felt tired. It has been a long day indeed. As she closed her eyes she could still hear that tune in her head. She remembered. She remembered the field she was in. She dreamt that she was there again with Allea.

"Ellipsis...why are you crying?" Allea asked her. Ellipsis didn't know what to say. She just embraced her long lost friend and cried. The dream was only short lived before she was awoken to the sounds of cheer.

"Huzzah! It is complete!" Ridley shouted. "Everyone on the bus! We're leaving now!"

Nyssia woke up immediately and ran for the bus. Io looked surprised.

"I'm surprised you manage to do it." She said as she got on the bus.

Ellipsis was the last one to step on. "Hey…you sure this is going to work?" She asked.

"Ha! I have no idea." Ridley admitted. Ellipsis stopped for a moment but only could give a light sigh with a smile.

The Ridley's eyes grew wide. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a large barrel. Ellipsis mouth hung open.

"Where the heck did you get that from!?"

"Uhh…from inside my coat."

"How!?" She said scowling.

"Magic."

"Well, what is it?"

"Beer."

"You have…a barrel of beer hidden inside a magical coat pocket?"

Ridley set the barrel down and pulled out a mug from out of his coat. "Yup." He said as she started to pour himself a drink.

"We are about to rescue your sister on a plan that you are not entirely sure that it will work and you are getting drunk?"

"Aye." Ridley said as he started to drink.

Ellipsis was stunned. In all of her years she had never met anyone like Ridley; maybe a pirate somewhere in the seventeenth century. But it was only a matter of time before Io found out.

"Hey!" Io shouted from the window. The look on her face quickly changed from frustration to curious.

"What are you drinking?" Io questioned as she stepped out of the bus.

"Beer. Want some?" Ridley said as he pulled another mug out of his coat pocket.

"Hell yeah!"

"Oh god, not you too." Ellipsis said as she placed her hand over her face. This was something she did not expect. But it was nice seeing these two actually agree on something rather than squabble and argue. It has been a long day, might as well join them she thought.

"Hey Ridley, got any cheese in that magical coat of yours?" Io said.

"Here." Ridley pulled out a large cheese wheel and Io's eye lit up with glee. She grabbed the cheese wheel and started to devour it. It wasn't long before they both were singing and dancing. Ellipsis joined in the shenanigans as well but she didn't drink as much and Ridley and certainly not as much as Io.

They didn't give themselves enough time to sober up before they both stumbled around the complex and followed one another into the bus.

"Alright! We're off!" Ridley said as he swayed back and forth.

A thought entered into Ellipsis's slightly sober head. She stood up and looked around and eventually found her way inside the bus. She let out a sigh. Nyssia was sleeping in the driver's seat.

"Well….she is the only one who is sober." Ellipsis said as she swung around and sat down. Ridley and Io were in the back with a half empty barrel of beer, still singing and still drinking. The atmosphere was calm and kind of cheery. Maybe all they really needed was a short break even if only for a while before something serious was about to happen.

"Hey…Nyssia." Ridley shouted as he tossed an empty mug across the way smacking against the windshield causing Nyssia to wake up with a jump. She stopped for a moment. She wasn't too pleased being woken up like that. They both started to laugh in back, even with Nyssia glaring down at them.

"Hey…Ridley. I bet I can drink more than you." Io said with a belch.

Ridley responded by pulling out another barrel of beer from inside his coat pocket. "You're on Pinkie" He said with a grin.

"Just go." Ellipsis said with a sigh. "This might take some time."

"But how do I do the thing?" Nyssia said as she waved her hands in the air.

"What?"

"How do I do the thing with the thing and go whoosh?"

"Uh." Ellipsis halted for a moment. Ridley never explained to her how this thing was supposed to work or if it would ever work.

"Ugh, Ridley!"

Ridley poked his head out from behind a third barrel. His only response was hiccup while Io hoisted the second barrel and started to drink straight from the tap.

"How do we go?"

"Hands in the tube gel thing…" He wobbled a bit. "Then you start up the bus. Turn the blue nob to the left and find the gateway." With that Ridley slumped behind the third barrel and continued drinking.

"Okie dokie!" Nyssia said with a smile and started to turn on the bus.

Ellipsis gave a sigh. This was going to be a long day. She got up and walked back where Io and Ridley were.

"Might as well." She said to herself as she grabbed a mug and started to drink.

It should be noted that vampires are undead creatures and as undead creatures their bodies don't work on the same level as those who are not undead. That being said, things like alcohol tend to lag in their bodies but their effects last significantly longer.

"Hey Ridley, Io." Ridley and Io both stopped and looked at Ellipsis. They simultaneously were aware of her presence. But this was new for them. She may have only had one drink but they didn't expect her to join them.

"Bet I can drink both of you guys under the table."

Ridley's eye open wide with delight. A smile ran across Io's face.

"You're on!" They both shouted.

As they sang and drank and danced and drank some more, they were not fully aware of their current situation. The bus had begun to take off. It swayed back a bit and then straightens itself out. It crashed through the steel gate and flew over the crumbled wall. Nyssia was having a grand time. As she looked around she was amazed by the scenery. It has been a long time since she had two working eyes after all.

Then something in the distant caught her eye. It was a swirling vortex of bright red light. It laid itself in the middle of the forest near the cave where they were tasked to go. Nyssia thought for a moment and looked behind her. The rest were doing else right now that didn't really fancied her. She always thought alcohol tasted pretty nasty. But they were preoccupied in the back with their music and their drinking. It seemed like they were doing some kind of arm wrestling contest that involved stacking empty mugs on each other while trying to shove the other's face into the ground. Apparently Ridley cheats by using his tail. That little bit was funny.

The controls felt funky to her. In the past when she drove Busbus through the desert wasteland of wherever, it was just a steering wheel. This on the other hand was much different. There were two cup holders with green gel in them on the sides of the steering wheel. By placing your hand in one of them gave you full control of the vehicle on that side. Both hands allowed you to steer without fail. The gel felt gross for Nyssia, this was all a new experience for her. The gel seem to electrify her fingers and gave her a tingling feeling that ran down her arm as she flew the bus over the surrounding area. The red vortex light, however, made her turn white with fear but at the same time fascinated her. She could feel her heart race as she approached the light. The bus started to rumble as they approached it. The light grew brighter. And with a sudden jolt from the bus and a spin, the bus started to go down in a downward spiral.

Everything was tossed around. Beer splattered on the windshield in front of Nyssia. The barrels toppled over one and another. Some even fell perfectly and landed in seats of their own as if they too were passengers in this trip into the void. There some screaming going on in the background. Io was slammed onto the back of the seats while holding onto Ellipsis. Ridley was a bit more agile than the rest. In a drunken state he was still able to move around the obstacles. He first caught himself as the bus tipped down, rolled onto the seats just in time to catch his hat. Then like a serpent he slithered down the area, swinging between seats, to where Nyssia was.

"Good work kid." He said with a smile. The smell of alcohol hung on his breathe. "You found it, now with just a twist here." He reached up and twisted a blue lever.

Suddenly the bright red light turned white. Light so bright that it caused Io to quickly jerk away from it causing her to lose her hold on Ellipsis. As she realized this she turned back only to see Ellipsis 'standing' up sideways as if the bus was leveled and moving on the ground. Ellipsis proceeded to wobble around and 'sit' in seat that Io was laying down on. From Io's point of view Ellipsis was sitting sideways which greatly confused her. The light started to grow dimmer and suddenly it was black all around. Io couldn't see anything, not Ellipsis, not even the seat she was on. Then from the darkness she heard Ellipsis say, "Never thought I'd see that sky again."


	4. Chapter 4

The scene was a mess. Barrels were smashed and burnt. Pieces of wood flew across the air and landed with a thump. Rumors on top deck began to spread of a demon below deck. Some even heard sparks or saw lighting; others saw a faint blue glow. None went down to investigate, they were all too scared. Then came the hollowing and the shouting, now the crew was really terrified of what lied below them.

"That stupid, idiot, selfish, stubborn, bastard!" Samantha shouted as she marched up and down. Jane sat on the one barrel that had not been broken yet and listened in.

"He was there one minute and was gone the next!" She screamed out. A spike of lighting shot across the way and burnt a hole in the deck. Though Jane still could not see, she only imagined the worse and gave a sigh.

"Why don't you calm yourself-"  
"I am calm!" Samantha shouted as a box sailed across the air and collided with the wall on the other side of the ship. Little blue apples scattered everywhere.

Jane paused for a moment. Obviously trying to tell her to calm down will only make things worse. A delicate and sensitive situation calls for some clarification.

"Why don't you tell me your side of the story? And do please to keep your voice down."

Samantha glared at Jane with anger, though Jane was unaffected by this notion she could still feel the heat irritating off of her. "Fine." She said.

As she collected her thoughts together and gave a few deep breaths she was ready.

"It all started when we were kids. It was really just the three of us." Samantha said as she pulled out a pocket watch and flipped it open revealing the picture inside. "It was me, dad and Ridley. Mom was not there cause…well she was dead. As we were kids growing up, Ridley would always get himself in trouble. He would play this game where he would go about the town and take stuff and see who finds out about it first, and then afterward he'd dump whatever it was he stole into a well. To him that was having fun. I on the other hand loved machines. My father taught me everything he knew. He tried to teach Ridley about machines anticipating that one day he would take up the family business and be an engineer or a mechanic. Didn't work like that." Samantha gave a sigh and then continued. "Later Ridley would actually steal things from people and sell it. Dad always asked him where he got the money. And he would of course lie through his forked tongue. But the old man always knew. And yet he didn't push it. It got worse for him when Ridley got caught stealing and was arrested. While I was mastering the art of designing and building Ridley rotted away in a jail cell for petty theft. It was bad. Dad's business soon started to go downhill. He took on debt to stay afloat and feed us, not to mention bail Ridley out of jail. Then one day Ridley just disappeared. No one saw where he went. And we never saw him again." Samantha paused for a moment as she stared at the watch.

"And has he always been reptilian?"

"What? No! What makes you say that?"

"Oh dear." was all that Jane said before a loud explosion teared through the air breaking all silence. The ship began to sway. Jane fell on the floor but Samantha kept her ground as she turned upward.

"What the hell is going on up there?" Samantha said as she went up the stairs.

"Oh no you don't, you're not leaving me here alone and blind." Jane said as she scrambled to her feet. Samantha didn't hear a word of what Jane had said because as soon as she poked her head she was met by the mast that fell down almost smacking her in the face. Smoke filled in from the deck. The ship roared and shook. The entire room suddenly shifted downward. Jane fell down to her knees and rolled into Samantha who was trying to keep her balance. Both toppled down and were met with shattered crates and barrels. Voices from up above could be heard along with gunfire and swords colliding into each other.

As the smoke filled the area, there erupted a strange sound. The sound grew louder. Little popping sounds emitted in between along with other noises such as metal bending and wood cracking. Samantha had a plan and had to act fast. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

The ship fell from the skies. The masts have been dismantled and shattered. The crew was either killed or taken hostage. Elven warships floated above. The ship collided into the ground making a spectacular show of lights and sounds. Green smoke fumed into the sky as the blue fire burned the ship to ashes. Then before anyone could do anything, the ship exploded. The reactor that powered the ship went off. Bright lights of red and pink shot into the sky, some even went through the Elven warships and caused damage. The undamaged warships floated above the crash site, shinning bright lights down. Tiny little balloons started to make their way down from the warships. A bright ball of white light could be seen from the center of the burning ship.

In the center of the wreckage was Samantha and Jane unharmed and safely protect by a shield spell. The spell would not last forever and Samantha knew this. She picked up Jane and headed through the fire and flames and into the forest. In one swift action Samantha casted another spell, this time Jane suddenly vanished from the scene.

"Lay low. I only had time enough for one of us to be invisible." Samantha whispered as she looked up and saw the approaching Elves. Jane didn't say anything; she too could see the Elves approaching. She saw Samantha get up and took off running. She paused for a moment and realized she could see everything but herself. She kept her shock silent as the Elves on horses took off after Samantha. Off in the distance streaks of fire and ice could be seen shooting into the sky and suddenly there were screams of distress.

Off in the distance Samantha was going one on five against several Elven soldiers. She held out her hand and suddenly there was a burst of red hot fire; fire that none of these Elves have seen before. The fire reshaped itself into a sword.

"Come and get me you pricks." Samantha yelled out as she held the fire sword in her hand. The Elves charged forward. Samantha swung the sword at the horses and frighten them. Some of the Elves were taken back by the bright red flame while others ignored its intense glowing heat and swung their swords at her. The fight didn't last very long. As the continued to fight, as Samantha continued to parry their attacks and swing back she suddenly grew tired. This was not the sort of thing she was used to. Physical combat was something she studied but never had the stamina for. As she grew tired the flame sword in her hand grew dim and suddenly burnt out. She collapsed on the ground. The cold snow felt nice. She only hoped that Jane didn't get captured and was at a safe distance. Samantha was picked up by two Elven soldiers, tied at the wrist and dragged off. Why they didn't kill her, she didn't know; she was too tired to struggle let alone think.

Jane wasn't very far from the scene where Samantha was captured. She saw the whole fight. She was still stunned at the environment. The trees were purple with dark red leaves. She looked back and saw the blue fire burn the remaining pieces of the ship. This was bizarre. What was even more bizarre was the simple observation that she herself was not able to be seen. This was truly fascinating. As she saw Samantha being carried off by Elven soldiers, Jane had already started to formulate a plan.

It wasn't long before the spell wore off and Jane could see herself again. She didn't realized she look incredible filthy but that may work to her advantage. As she followed behind the soldiers she started to untie her hair making sure that her ears were covered. As the soldiers marched on with Samantha tied up they finally reached a small encampment. The snow was bitter and cold as it whipped through the air. Jane hid herself behind a rock; words rushing through her head as to what to say. This was not going to be easy but she had to try. As far as she knew no one else was coming.

The encampment was not very big. It was made of stone that looked like it was worn away by weather and years. The snow slid off the top of the walls. There was a single tower off in the back with several small buildings in front of it. The wall had several guard towers that overlooked the surrounding areas with a large wooden gate. There appeared to be only one entrance. After some time after the soldiers went inside the encampment Jane stepped onto the road and walked to the gate. Her heart was pounding; she was full of anxiety that made her fingers tremble.

"Halt!" the guard shouted out to her. "State your business."

"Here I go." She whispered to herself.

"Don't give me that bureaucratic nonsense you grunt, I am here on official business!" Jane shouted at the guards. The guards were shocked a bit.

"I said state your business!" The guard shouted back.

"This is nonsense. I am from the capital and am here on official business. I was requested to travel to this precise location and assist the wounded."

"Wounded?"

"Yes. I am a doctor and I am here to aid the sick and wounded. Now if you give me any more of your bureaucratic nonsense I shall report you to the proper authorities and file a claim against you stating that you prevented me from performing the duty which I have been assigned to! Do I make myself clear!?" Jane shouted out to the guards. They both were taken back a bit. Fear dripped down their backs. They weren't aware of a doctor coming from the capital. But then again no one told them anything and they knew this.

"Uh, sorry, formality and all that." The guard said.

"Understandable. Now let me through I have a job to do." Jane stared at the guards who now were trembling with fright. This woman scared the hell out of them. They were completely taken by surprise.

"Yes mam! The hospital is over in the east side of the encampment." And with that said he opened the gate.

"I didn't go to medical school for six years to be called 'mam'!" She said in a harsh tone. She glared at the guard who spoke to her. He was shacking by now in his boots.

"Sorry doctor." He said as he bowed his head in shame.

"Good lord." She whispered to herself as she walked in and moved a safe distance from the gate. She didn't think that would work, but why not? It always worked on little punk security guards whenever she forgot her ID badge. She figured the guards outside didn't know anything. As long as you act the part well enough no one will suspect a thing and she knew now she had to continue the act. She moved herself quickly to the east side. There she found several people in beds with nurses running back and forth. Jane ducked into a closet where she found a change of clothes as well as a plague doctor's mask. She saw this as the perfect disguise. As she moved through the encampment she did what she said she was doing, it was the only way she figured she'd blend in and help a few battered souls. Elves didn't seem much different than humans. They didn't have sparkling magical blood, they were just people. The only physical traits that differ from humans were the ears and that was pretty much it. She felt a bit disappointed. All the books and role playing games she played when she was little depicted Elves as beautiful creatures and or full of magical potential. But as reality was coming crashing down on her childhood imagination there was suddenly a tap on her shoulder.

It was another guard or at least he looked like another guard. His hair was silver white and his eyes shinned off an ice cold blue color. He squinted as he gazed at Jane. Jane could feel a shiver run down her spine but she did not falter.

"I believe the guards outside mentioned you were a medical personal, is this information true?" He said calmly.

There was a small lump in her throat. She could feel her palms sweating with perspiration inside her thick gloves.

"I am. Do you need any assistance?" Jane replied trying not to stutter or sound scared. She was doing a good job up till the end of her sentence when she got a shiver that ran up her spine and down her shoulders.

"Excellent!" He said with a smile. "I have a special person that needs medical assistance."

"Of course" Jane said as she followed the man outside of the hospital wing. She was lead to a spiral stone staircase that went underground. The hallway was poorly lit which did not assist Jane at all as she was already having difficulty seeing through the eyeholes in her mask. At the end of the hallway was a large wooden door. When the guard opened the door Jane's heart sunk. It was Samantha. She was tied down to a table with thick leather straps that went across her chest and her legs. Her wrists were chained down and there was what looked like a towel in her mouth and a blindfold across her eyes. She did not move. Behind her were two more guards glaring at her.

Jane paused. She was tentative to move into the room. 'Come on Jane!' She thought to herself. 'Stay in character. You can do this.' Jane took a deep breath and walked in.

"I don't believe I caught your name prior." Jane said as she walked towards the table ignoring Samantha.

"I am Captain Joffrey of the seventh unit." Captain Joffrey said with a smug look on his face. "And before you good doctor is our patient for the evening. Please don't mind with the restraints I can assure you they are necessary."

"Why? Why is this patient tied down like a wild animal."

"She is dangerous."

"I very much doubt it. If she was dangerous I very much doubt she would require medical attention." Jane said as she motioned towards Samantha.

"She attacked several of our own guards. She is a hostile threat to everyone here."

"And yet you ask of me to treat this patient. Under such atrophies conditions that would give a plague rat the sniffles." Jane said in an angry tone. Captain Joffrey didn't flinch. He just stood there glaring at Jane.

"Very well, guards remove the restraints."

The guards looked at one another for a moment and then proceeded to undo the binds that held Samantha down as well as removing the towel from her mouth and the blindfold from her eyes. Her body laid still. Though she was breathing she did not open her eyes. Jane glanced over Samantha's injuries; examining every cut and every bruise. Jane then popped her head up.

"I need fresh hot water and some clean rags." Jane paused for a moment. The guards looked at her rubbernecked. "Now you idiots! And get me some fresh candles I can't see a damn thing in this light!" Jane's tone shocked the guards so much they almost stumbled on their way out the door. Joffrey stood in the corner his arms were folded and he wore an impatient look on his face. Dealing with someone of a different profession was most difficult for him.

"Analysis doctor?"  
"Patient seems to have suffered from minor wounds across the arms and the chest. Patient also seems to be unresponsive. My Analysis? This woman needs some serious rest as well as some bandages." Jane said as she felt a lump in her throat. Here was her friend and she was acting like she was nothing more than a cadaver. She hated herself for this but deep down she knew she had to keep a straight face. Samantha did this to herself, she used herself as bait to get the soldiers away and now here she was. She took another deep breath. The guards came back with a bucket of steaming water as well as a bundle of bandages, Jane went to work cleaning and covering Samantha's wounds.

After some time Samantha gave a stir. She appeared to wake up but slowly closed her eyes again. Joffrey then told Jane that her work was done and asked her to now leave. Jane refused to leave right away insisting that the job was not complete.

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot leave a patient in such conditions; she needs a proper bed and water."

"I see. I'll have the guards assist her than. Thank you again." Joffrey said as he waved Jane off. This was sickening. She couldn't stand it. She knew she had to do something other than roleplay. As Jane walked down the hallway back towards the staircase a much smaller guard dashed before her and ran straight for Joffrey. But that bit did not concern her, what concerned her in that moment was when Joffrey shouted.

"What do you mean we're being invaded!?" Joffrey yelled out at the top of his lungs.

Jane didn't like the sound of invaders but if this bit of news could keep everyone else turned away from her and Samantha than its good enough. She knew she had to make a plan. She raced back up the stairs and found her way into a storage closet. It was small but it housed shelves that were full of interesting things. Potions, scrolls, wands and tiny vials of unknown chemicals were placed about the area. She couldn't read the language that was written on it. To her it resembles an even more elegant writing than cursive. She took what she could carry and started to make a plan.

Meanwhile back underground, Joffrey had decided to move Samantha to a more secured location. Samantha didn't budge as Joffrey picked her up and took her to the top room in the central tower. By the time they entered through the red oak doors Samantha was starting to wake up fully and take note of the situation. With twist of her body she struggled to get free from Joffrey's grasp.

"Now now" He told her. "Let's try to remain calm." He said as he held on to her.

Samantha didn't say anything she was still exhausted from the previous encounter and the shock of waking up in a strange place in the arms of a strange man didn't help. Joffrey placed Samantha in wooden chair. In front of her were stacks of books and papers. As she looked up she was amazed at the sight. She was in a huge library; shelves of books all around her. There was one large table in front of her. Red wooden chairs surrounded the table. Candles were placed evenly down the center of the table. The blue light flickered and danced as the door behind her closed. The floor was colored with green and yellow checkered pattern and large. White columns stretched to the ceiling where it was met by an enormous mural of many colorful figures. In the center of the mural stood a ghostly figure holding a black disc.

"Amazing isn't it?" Joffrey said from behind. "This is out grand library. Most of our history is placed in libraries like these all over the country. This one in particular houses the most recent events going back ten thousand years ago."

"Ten thousand years…?"

"Yes. It has been quite a history. Many of us were alive around those times."

"How…?"

"A mixture of our Elven blood with the constant flow of magic in this world aided in keeping us young. You are not the first photonic to be here you know. I remember a long time ago there was another young girl. Unlike you, she couldn't see. Unfortunately for her she was not the one we were looking for. A bit of a mix up in the photonic sphere. We're were looking for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Samantha said confusingly. Joffrey continued to walk behind her.

"A Mythic as they would call you. One who can not only absorb the magical energy around them but also use it. That is why you can see and others could not."

"What happened to the last one who was here?"

"Oh that was such a long time ago but yes she arrived to us in a ceremonial robe. We were hoping for a Mythic but what we got was a terrified young woman." Joffrey said with a chuckle. "She was so helpless and completely useless to us. So we handed her over to the council and they decided to make good use of her."

There was a pause.

"She later returned back to the Photonic Sphere but unfortunately our plans once again didn't work out and she died; but enough of ancient history." Joffrey said as he sat down next to Samantha. Suddenly the doors behind them opened up and a small lizard woman in a white apron approached them.

"Anything for you dearie?" She said in a soft voice.

Samantha hesitated for a moment. She was still trying to wrap her head around the situation.

"Coffee…?" She said hesitantly. She didn't know if they had coffee or not all that was running through her head was that she needed the energy.

"Right away miss. And for you sir?"

"Tea for me please. Make it green. One bag not two and some honey, thank you."

"Right away sir." And with that she turned her tail and walked back out of the room and closed the door behind her.

"Draconians, disgusting creatures they are really." Joffrey said.

"I would like to employ your unique gift."

"My gift?" Samantha wondered.

"Yes. No one here really can use the magical energy that surrounds us. We've discovered a while back that only certain people from the Photonic Sphere can utilize the magic here but we are not sure why. Lucky for us you just happened to pop in here."

The doors swung open again and the tiny Draconian woman came back with a tray with two cups on it. As Samantha received the cup she stared into it. It smelled like coffee, looked like coffee. She took a sip and to her surprised it even tasted like coffee. Joffrey received his tea as well and started to drink it.

"You like this room don't you. You have a thirst for knowledge. I can see it in your eyes. We can offer this to you. An endless amount of knowledge and power at the tips of your fingers while improving on the magic you already know." Joffrey said as he placed his cup down. Samantha didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She actually was thinking about it. Joffrey walked over to the nearest bookshelf.

"Every book, every page has knowledge in it. Knowledge of the past, the present, and the future." He said as he removed a fairly large book. The book was leather-bound and looked worn out. Joffrey walked over to Samantha who was eyeing her cup of coffee the entire time. He placed the book down in front of her. Samantha gazed at the book. She was curious. She opened the book that lay before her. She could feel an enormous amount of energy flowing through it. It raced up her back and fluttered in her head. She could feel her hair stand on end. It was electrifying.

"With every page you turn you would gain something new." Joffrey said as he observed Samantha's excitement.

"Isn't this the knowledge that you seek?" Joffrey inquired.

Samantha was speechless. As she stared at the pages of the book it was like all the words were flowing. Then a word caught her eye. _Resurrection._ The word alone gave her shivers and yet inspired her.

"Ah, I see you're on that section. Yes. Control over life and death is as simple at lighting a candle. If you so choose to do so." Joffrey said as he reached for the book. Joffrey carefully slipped the book out of Samantha's hands. She could feel the glow slowly fade away from her body.

As Joffrey was putting the book away the doors swung open. A man ran in. He looked frighten as if a demon was chasing him.

"Sir the keep has fallen under attack!" He yelled out as Joffrey quickly turned his head towards him. Joffrey's eye widen with fright. Fear crawled up his back.

"Defend the keep. Barricade the hallways if you mu-". Joffrey's sentence was cut short as the sound of an explosion rippled through the library. Several books fell on the ground as well as Joffrey's tea cup. Sounds of combat can be heard outside of the doors. Samantha ducked and shrouded herself under the large table. The guard ran out of the room. Joffrey went to the door to close and lock it.

"Be not afraid my dear one. I am here to help you." Joffrey said as he drew his sword and look at Samantha who was hiding under the table.

"Funny. I remember you saying the exact same thing all those years ago." A familiar voice called out from the darkness above.

Joffrey jerked his head up only to peer into the mural that looked back at him.

"Don't tell her the same lies you told me." The voice called out.

"Show yourself!" Joffrey cried out.

"You don't remember me do you? Then again it has been a very long time." The voice was bouncing around the room. Joffrey backed himself to the door. There was a cold shiver that ran up his spine. From the far end of the library a figure emerged from behind the bookshelf. It was a woman. Her hair was as black as the night. Her eyes were red and filled with hatred. Her clothes were tattered. She had tattoos that stretched down her arm and into her hands. She was gripping a dark sword. As she approached Joffrey his look turned from concerned to frighten. Samantha peeked up from under the desk and was stunned at what she saw. It was Ellipsis and it looked like she had been through hell. There would have been a sigh of relief but instead Samantha looked at Ellipsis and felt the rage burning in her eyes. Ellipsis approached Joffrey. She stood no more than 8 feet from him.

"It has been a long time." Ellipsis said as a grin emerged on her face.

"Indeed it has dear child." Joffrey said as he held his sword out.

"I am quite pleased with you child. It would seem that not even Death itself can hold you down. Tell me, what brings you here my queen? Are you here to reclaim your throne o-?" Joffrey's words were cut short as Ellipsis raised her sword at Joffrey's throat.

"My dear child, such fire in your eyes; not like the sobbing little girl you once were when you first arrived here." Joffrey said as he took a swing at Ellipsis's sword and swatted it away. He then raised his own sword at her. Ellipsis jumped a few feet back and held her sword out to meet Joffrey's.

"Your skill has improved I see but only slightly. You cannot beat me." Joffrey said as he sneered at Ellipsis.

Ellipsis smiled back.

"You're right. I am a bit rusty with a sword." Ellipsis said as she lowered her sword. In a simple motion Ellipsis let go of the sword in her right hand as her left hand swiftly moved reveling a pistol. Ellipsis didn't say anything at the moment. The loud bang echoed through the library. Joffrey's sword fell to the ground. He looked at Ellipsis with shock and terror in his eyes.

"You…You cheat." Joffrey said as he slumped to the ground, clutching his chest in agony. Ellipsis held her smile as she carelessly tossed the pistol behind her.

"Oh my dear sweet prince, you still have yet to learn: Once a trickster, always a trickster. Oh but don't die just yet." Ellipsis said as she approached Joffrey. She took a hold of his hair and lifted him up.

"I want you to see the monster that you have created all those years ago." Ellipsis said with hunger in her eyes.

As she pulled his head back Joffrey could see fangs emerge. The look of hatred and rage turned into the look of hunger from a wild savage animal. As she lunged at his throat his screams of pain and terror traveled far a wide. Blood trickled down his neck. His arms flung and twitched about while is his kicked at the empty air. His screams did not cease. As Ellipsis continued to drink from his neck, his body began to shrivel. When finally there was silence in the library, Joffrey's corpus look like a shriveled dried out piece of fruit. The haunting look of fear was permanently printed on his face.

Samantha witnessed the whole event. She sat under the table in terror. She was too afraid to move or speak. This was a side of Ellipsis that she had never seen and it made her wonder. As terror continued to grip Samantha from underneath the table Ellipsis stood up and looked about. The lower part of her face was covered in blood. Her eyes were a dark red. She had a satisfying look on her face. As she wiped away the blood on her face she spoke.

"You can come out from under the table now. Coast is clear." Ellipsis said as she moved over to the table. But Samantha was still scared to move. Suddenly the table was hoisted into the air. Samantha fell on her butt as she looked up at Ellipsis who greeted her with a smile.

"Hey Blondie, I thought I smelled you around here!" Ellipsis said as she tossed the table to the side. Papers and books scattered on the floor. The loud noise was enough to make Samantha jump. She than stood up swiftly. She looked back at Ellipsis in silence. Ellipsis's smile faded. She knew she saw the whole show. It was written all over her face.

"Blondie I don't know what to say." Ellipsis said as she put her hands in her pockets only to pull out a cigarette and a lighter. Samantha took this opportunity to race over to where the gun rested on the floor, picked it up and pointed it at Ellipsis. Ellipsis's face did not alter. She just stared at Samantha.

More loud explosions ranged through the library. Shells fell to the floor and tears ran down Samantha's face. Ellipsis's position or face did not change through the event. As the bullets came and hit her she did not waver nor held up her hands in defense. When the gun was empty the tears were dropping on the blood stained floor but she kept pulling the trigger. Ellipsis did nothing, except lower her head in shame. She didn't even mind the bullet holes in her. Samantha stood in silence and then fell to her knees, fingers still gripping the pistol. The constant clicking noise of the pistol was the only thing that broke the silence. Eventually after a few more clicks Samantha lowered the pistol and stared into the pool of blood she sat in. Ellipsis took this moment and walked over to Samantha. As she leaned over to take back the pistol from Samantha's hands she said nothing. There was nothing to be said. Samantha starred to breath heavily now.

"It's okay blondie, just let it out." Ellipsis said as she reloaded the pistol. Samantha took a few more large breaths before standing back up and faced Ellipsis.

"I'm…It's just…" Samantha was trying to find the words but couldn't.

"It's fine. You owe me a new shirt though." Ellipsis said with a smile. Samantha gave a small laugh and a smile but it faded away fast after that. The moment let up a bit. The cigarette in Ellipsis's mouth gave a low red glow. Ellipsis reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

"Want one?" Ellipsis asked as she held the cigarette out towards Samantha. Samantha looked at it. She shrugged and said, "Might as well."

Ellipsis handed the cigarette to Samantha as well as a lighter. After a few puffs from the cigarette Samantha looked as if she was calming down. By then, Ellipsis had finished her cigarette. They both walked over to the door.

"Come on Blondie. The rest of the crew is waiting for ya. By the way, seen Jane anywhere?" Ellipsis said as she opened the large wooden doors. The smile that Samantha held suddenly faded and a look of worry was painted on her face.

"Oh shit." Samantha said as she smacked her forehead with her hand.

Meanwhile on the other side of the keep, Jane was hiding herself in a broom closet. She ran inside the moment she heard the first few explosions. Peeping through a keyhole she people run and scream as explosion rang around them. The smell of Sulphur was overpowering. Parts of the ceiling came crashing down. Jane held onto her bag of stolen items. Fumbling around she pulled out a random wand. All of a sudden she was met with a yellow eye staring back at her from the other side of the keyhole.

"Hello there love." A voice called out. Suddenly there was a clicking sound as the lock slide up and became unlocked and the door swung open. Jane closed her eyes and waved the wand at the figure. A low booming sound shot out of the tip of the wand knocking the figure across the room. Jane opened her eyes and saw a Draconian man in a dirty trench coat lie on the floor across from her.

"Ah, nice shot kid." The Draconian man cried out. Jane was paralyzed with fear. The only thing she could thing of doing was closing the door and locking it again, which is what she did.

"Hey, don't hide in there. I know you're in there you know." The man called out as he got up and walked over to the door. He knocked on the door.

"Salesman! Here to sell you magazines." He said as he chuckled a little afterward. Jane kept silent. She fumbled around again in her bag and pulled out another wand. The man jiggled the handle of the door.

"Come on. Please come out." He said mockingly.

"I promise I won't hurt you." He said.

"You're lying!" Jane shouted out.

"Of course I'm lying." The man replied with a laugh.

"Okay, I'll make a deal with ya. Since you are practically the only one left alive here in this room I'll let you live if you tell me where a certain individual may be, deal?" The man said. Unfortunately there was no reply. Jane was thinking of what he said but she also couldn't help but wonder where she had heard his voice before.

"Come on poppet. I ain't got all day." The man said. Jane gripped the wand in her hand. She was terrified about what was to happen next, didn't matter if the voice sound familiar or not. She was scared.

"Come on! Help a guy out looking for his baby sister" The man said as he backed off from the door. This caught Jane's attention. Though still petrified she was curious.

"What is your sister's name?" Jane called out.

"Oh good you're still alive in there. Uh her name is Samantha or Samclam as I call her." The man said.

"You're her brother, the one who gave her the drink and healed her injury after crawling out of a crack in the floor?" Jane questioned. She was putting all the pieces together now. Now all she was looking for was a name. But no answer came. There was a moment of silence, almost like the man left the room entirely. Jane slowly opened the door to peek out only to be met with the barrel of a revolver in her mouth along with the man's other hand around her neck. Jane was still wearing the plague doctor's mask at this point and the gun shifted the eyeholes around. Jane could only see half of what was going on.

"How did you know that?" The man said calmly. He wasn't chocking Jane but kept a firm grip on her neck. She was more concerned with the gun in her mouth. It wasn't a very pleasant taste. Jane tried to say something but only spoke in vowels. She was staring at the gun with wide frightful eyes. The man realized the situation quickly and slowly pulled out the gun from Jane's mouth. Jane took a moment to spit the awful taste of gun oil out of her mouth.

"Because, I was there." Jane said with dread in her voice. The expression on the man's face morphed from stern to confuse in a brief amount of time. He let go of Jane's throat and removed the mask that was still on her face. The man's face then changed to a surprised looked and then quickly had a grin across his face.

"Ah! You're the one that the creature took my sister with. Goddamn you're still alive. Awesome." He said as he tossed her the mask back.

Jane stumbled with her words but manage to ask the man for his name. The man turned to her and said, "Its Ridley sweetheart. Now come on we got work to do here." Ridley said with a grin on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Samantha and Ellipsis made their way down to the first floor of the building. All of the guards that were supposed to be there were either dead or fled the area. Samantha was still exhausted over the whole ordeal but was glad to know that she was being rescued. The one thing that worried her though was the absence of Jane. She hoped she was safe. Fortunately they ran into a familiar face. It was Jane and she was accompanied by Ridley who at this point had looted so much treasure his pockets were stuff with jewels and pearls. There was a brief moment of silence between the parties as they met with each other. Ridley stood in the back, there was a genuine smile on his face. Samantha glared at him. She did not know why but something made her blood boil. But as soon as Ridley opened his mouth she knew exactly who he was.

"Good to see you again Samclam." Ridley said with a smile. He watched as Samantha's eyes widen.

"Ridley?" She whispered. Ridley only gave a slight nod and that was enough.

She moved hastily over to him and without hesitation smacked him in the face.

"You bastard!" Samantha screamed out as she continued to hit him.

"Why the hell did you leave me and dad like that?" She shouted as she started to cry.

"Where did you go!?" She said as she continued to smack him in his face.

"Why did you abandon us!? Why did you abandon me!?" She said as the tears filled her eyes and rolled down her face. The anger and the sadness that she was hiding had finally been released onto Ridley; all of those years alone and miserable came out in a roaring rage. Ridley said nothing. He only stood there in silence. He knew he had nothing to say. He knew he had no words of comfort for her in that moment. He felt nothing but shame and guilt. The pain he felt in his heart was more sever and sharp than the smacks he was feeling right now from his own sister. As she continued to hit him the jewels and pearls he had in his pockets scattered across the floor as well as tears of sadness and regret. Jane and Ellipsis stood back in silence. After a while Samantha was so distraught she couldn't hold up herself. As she fell to the floor Ridley was there to catch her.

"I know I screwed up big time. I know it seems like I left both you and dad at the worst time. I have no excuses. I'm just so glad to see you again." Ridley said as hugged Samantha. A tear slowly formed in his eye. Samantha didn't know how to respond. Her mind was blank from misery and rage. She continued to weep as she embraced her brother. And for a brief moment, all the chaos in the world seemed to stop. For the first time in ages they were together again. It took some time but the two finally ceased all tears but they didn't let go of each other. Not after all they had been through. There was a sense of relief afterward. Time had finally caught up with them.

"Glad to see that you've kept it." Ridley said as he pulled out the pocket watch Samantha had in her pocket. Samantha was alarmed by this but when she looked at the watch all she could do was smile as Ridley opened it to show the picture inside.

"Dad would be hella proud of you. You know that?" Ridley said as he dangled the watch in the air. Samantha in her state gave a weak chuckle and mumbled, "You'd be so grounded if Dad was here." Ridley smiled at that comment and said, "You need a bath."

Samantha smiled back and responded, "You have a tail." Ridley chuckled.

Ellipsis leaned over to Jane in the moment of silence and whispered, "I believe these two need a moment." Jane only gave a slight nod and they both quietly left the two alone. As Ellipsis and Jane left they were able to catch up themselves on everything that has happened. Jane explained the disguise she took up to make sure Samantha was safe and Ellipsis shared about their trip to the Umbral Sphere and the rampage they ensued while heavily intoxicated.

"Hey Jane, quick question: why did you tag along in the first place?" Ellipsis asked. This questioned surprised Jane and caught her off guard.

"Uh, well you see. When I was little I always enjoyed fantasy and science fiction stories. I would play endless board games with my friends about fighting dragons and seeking treasure hidden in dark dungeons. When I grew up, my dreams of flying off into space to an unknown world were destroyed when I learned those were all works of fiction. So I studied science and medicine. It was the only for sure things I knew were true at the time. And well, with Bronsworth dead and the city half destroyed, why not go on an adventure with an alcoholic vampire, a pugnacious brute, a magical enchantress and a psychotic barbarian? Seems like the beginning of a bad fanfiction if you ask me." Jane said as she rubbed her chin. "And now we got ourselves kleptomaniac lizard. This is so incredibly captivating. It's like when I was a child I always dreamed that one day I would sail through space and visit foreign worlds and meet strange people, now look at me. I'm on another world that is filled with things like magic, elves and talking giant lizards. It's all so very interesting." Jane suddenly became lost in thought but was soon brought back to reality when the sound of screams echoed through the halls. Ellipsis and Jane took flight to investigate the screams only to be met with several elven guards panicking and barricading a large set of double wooden doors. Tables and chairs where stack chaotically as the guards frantically searched for more items to put in front of the doors.

They each carried the look of fear and terror in their eyes. They were out of breath when Ellipsis and Jane approached them. At first they didn't know what to think. They were too terrified to form a proper sentence. They spitted out random words and phrases. After a moment though they spoke of a demon that lurked behind the doors, a childish imp that looked innocent but was truly a horrific monster with sharp teeth, red skin and horns. Jane and Ellipsis looked upon them with skeptical faces as they already suspected who was behind the double doors.

Much to no one's surprise, behind the large wooden double doors was Nyssia. She was having a good time dancing. Her orange pigtails swiveled back and forth as she twirled around, occasionally picking up a dead body to join her. Though she is mostly erratic and clumsy with her normal movements, she was rather quite graceful with her dancing. Her face was decorated with fresh blood imitating war paint. She found herself in a grand ballroom, which was a surprising find as she didn't expect something like this to be in a military fort, but here it was. The walls were covered in bloody finger paints illustrating Nyssia and her friends. The floor was saturated with blood and littered with countless bodies of elven guards riddled with bullets and slash marks. Many of the guards were shot and some were torn apart. In the center sat alone a chair with the last guard in it. He was still alive and had shards of broken glass jammed into his arms and legs. He was tied to the chair and was weeping. Nyssia had already done some charming work on his face with a knife and was itching to do more. But even as she danced around him and listened to his pleas of mercy and pain there was still one thought stuck on her mind the entire time.

"Where are the cookies!?" Nyssia shouted to the elven guard as she did a final leap over a corpus and landed right in front of him wielding a sharp knife. The man stuttered with his words. Nyssia tried to listening but didn't like what she heard.

"You know what it's like walking around in your house alone at night and smell fresh baked cookies and not being able to find any? And then you walk into the bathroom and there you see it. Your very own reflection eating the freshly baked cookies before you and here you are cookie less. That's what I am feeling right now." Nyssia said in a dramatic tone. Her fist clench, her eyes narrow as she stared deeply into the man's eyes.

"Lady I don't know what you are talking about. We have no cookies." The man called out.

"Rubbish! You're elves aren't you? So either you make the cookies or the toys and I demand cookies!" Nyssia said as she swung the knife wildly into the air only to slightly slash the man's face. He let out a holler as a trail of blood slowly rolled down his cheek. Nyssia reached for a shard of broken glass that was embedded into the man's leg and ripped it out, only to jam it underneath the man's finger nails. The amount of pain he was feeling was excruciating. His head was spinning; his vision was blurry with every drop of blood. His body flared up and he could feel his heart race. Nyssia continued with her little dance while humming a catchy tune to herself. Time seemed to cease in this room as the man watch Nyssia twirl back and forth. He felt his eyes burn from the tears.

Suddenly the large wooden doors from behind them started to open. Nyssia paused her dancing and stared at the doors.

"More friends to play with?" She questioned in a cheerful voice. Then a voice came from the other side of the doors.

"Nyssia? It's Ellipsis. I got Jane here." Ellipsis said from behind the door. She was either terrified at getting shot at by Nyssia or didn't want to see the horrific scene on the other side. Jane too was scared to see what Nyssia had done to be considered a demon child by a bunch of guards. The guards themselves were far away from the doors.

"Okie dokie." Nyssia called out. She started to dig around her pockets.

"Oh Buster, where are you?" She said to herself as she continued to rummage through her pockets.

Suddenly her face struck a smile as she pulled out a homemade pipe bomb. It was made from rusted pipes, no doubt from Busbus. The fuse was long and curled and smelled of motor oil and on its side was a crude drawing of a bunny's face on it. Nyssia pivoted once more and leap over the dead bodies towards her friend in the chair who by this point stared at her with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry but I must take my leave right now. But don't worry I have a babysitter for you." Nyssia said as she held up the pipe bomb. Knowing fully that the guard would not open his mouth at this point for anything Nyssia ripped out another shard of glass and stabbed the guard in his right hand with it. The guard let out another roar of pain but was silenced with the pipe bomb being shoved down his throat. He started to gag and cough until it was just barley down his throat but still in his mouth. Nyssia stared at him with a cheerful smile that soon turned into a hideous grin as she pulled out a lighter and lit the fuse of the pipe bomb. She quickly scampered her way to the doors and tumbled through just as the pipe bomb went off and a streak of blood and chunks of meat met her on the other side of the door. Ellipsis was unmoved by the events that took place. She was uninterested and expected as much considering the last fort the checked out, Nyssia pretty much exhausted a flamethrower and turned the inhabitants into crispy critters. Jane on the other hand was shocked at the scene and was now even more terrified of Nyssia than ever before. Though she managed to keep her composure when the blood and gore smacked Nyssia in her face, the explosion gave her the shivers. Nyssia wore a cheerful smile on her face as she looked at Jane.

"Hey Doc!" She said with glee.

Suddenly from down the hallway a howl was heard, one that terrified the guards even more and caused them to panic and run. Jane's expression quickly turned from disgust to worrisome as she turned towards Ellipsis trusting to receive and answer. But Ellipsis starred off to where the sound came from. Not knowing what would happen next they all stood in silence. From the shadows emerge two figures one that was much larger than the other and hairy. The two figures facing each other and throwing punches. They danced in the darkness for a while, bumping to whatever came in their way. Ellipsis and Jane stood in silence with faces painted of terror and wonder. Nyssia on the other hand was vastly more curious than afraid, in fact she wasn't afraid at all. They all stood in the background as the two figures continued to side step one another only to throw another punch or to pick up another object and smashed over the other's head.

Into the light to two figures stepped, revealing themselves. It was Io and she was decorated from head to toe in sheets of metal poorly wrapped together by pieces of leather and here she was fighting a large wolf that stood on two legs. Io quickly spun around when she noticed the amount of debris on the floor and hoisted a wooden chair only to smash across the creature's face. The creature then lunge at Io tackling her to the ground. Io let out a scream as the creature bit into her shoulder. Io then quickly grabbed a broken piece of glass beside her and stabbed the creature in its face. The creature reeled back in horror as it pulled the shard out of its face. Io then leaped up and started to punch the creature in the face. Jane and Ellipsis stood in silence as Io blocked and punched the creature in its face.

"Puppy!" Nyssia shouted as she watched with anticipation. Io grabbed the creature by its throat and started to punch its face only to have the creature open its mouth and catch Io's fist. Io let out a scream as she wrestled to free herself from the beasts grip. Sheets metal flew to the ground. Both combatants looked tired. Blood was slowly dripping on the floor as Io tossed the creature towards the wall colliding with a small table. Pieces of wood splint and broke as the creature fell to the ground on top of it. The creature got up fast and took another swipe at Io. Io jumped to the side, only to charge back at the creature, grapping it by its head and kneed it in its jaw. The creature let out a feint howl and fell over on the ground. Io stood over her opponent triumphantly. It was obvious from her facial expression that she was tired. She slowly started to take the sheets of metal off and walk towards the group that stood on the sidelines in silence. Jane was shocked at the scene. She had never seen a creature like that before. She bit her lip and pondered what kind of creature that could be. It was obvious to the rest of the group but Jane was trying to think logically.

"Was that a werewolf?" Jane questioned. Io, breathing heavily, turned towards Jane and then back to the creature. Then she looked back once more towards Jane and shrugged. Jane walked over to Io and grabbed a hold of her hand. There were teeth marks in it and blood was trickling to the floor. Jane looked up at Io.

"You got bitten by a werewolf?" Jane said with some concern.

"Hey whatever doesn't kill me can only make me stronger Doc." Io said with pride in her voice as she took her hand back and applied pressure to where the marks were.

"Ah yes a philosophy by the insane for the insane." Jane said in a condescending tone. Nyssia ran over to where the werewolf laid on ground but was instantly disappointed. Instead of a huge hairy beast there was just a half-naked guy lying on the floor. Covered in cuts and bruises he slowly began to wake up.

"Aw. I wanted a puppy." Nyssia said with disappointment in her voice as her shoulders slumped and walked away.

The man on the floor rolled over and started to lift himself up. Io quickly shuffled her way over and put herself between the man and her friends. Nyssia quickly jumped to the side.

"He lives!" Nyssia said as she gazed with curiosity at the man. Io looked like she was ready for round two with the man.

"Pardon me miss, but I must inquire as to what had happen." The man said as she slowly stood up. Io looked at him with a confused face. Nyssia was just as confused as Io.

"Sorry. What I meant to say was what happened?" The man said as he rubbed the back of his head. The group stood in silence. This was not something they were used to.

"You were a wolf thinga-ma-bob and this one here bopped you in the nose and you went aroo and flopped on the floor and now you have less hair and no tail." Nyssia said while making dramatic features using her hands.

"Oh my I do hope I didn't hurt you. My condition is rather contagious and I am sorry if I did." The man said with a shameful look on his face. Io was bewildered at the man. She was expecting something like another fight instead what she got was some nice guy being sorry for hurting her. This was certainly not normal for her to experience.

"If I heard correctly, you and I fought correct?" The man said while looking up at Io. Io said nothing and just nodded.

"Oh fair maiden. Goddess of the heavens, I thank you for freeing me from my cursed state. Though it has been many moons since I last remember, I have never set my eyes on a more beautiful figure than you." The man said. Io just stared at him.

"Oh god, please tell me you're not a theater nerd." Io said.

"He's a classic Mr. Jekyll and Dr. Hobo!" Nyssia shouted.

"I think you mean Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Jane said as she rubbed her temple with her index and middle finger.

"Nope." Nyssia said with a smile on her face as she watched the man.

The man then took Io by her hand and kissed it.

"Who might I be in the presence of?" The man said as he stared into Io's eyes. Io looked back at him with confusion. He was trying to be charming and the kiss on her hand was certainly nice but too old fashion. Io was confused. She didn't know what to do or say next.

"Io…" She said with a stutter. The man looked up at her with soulful eyes.

"Oh what indeed a goddess you are. My name is Wolfgang and I am at your service oh fair maiden." Wolfgang said as he bowed before Io. Io took a few steps back. She was completely out of her element here.

"Well he certainly is charming." Jane said with a smile.

"Do I hear wedding bells?" Ellipsis said with a small laugh.

Io was speechless at the scene as well as the reaction from her friends.

"You know what. I'm going back to the bus." Io said as she turned around and started walking.

"Wait. What about your wound?" Jane called out.

"It's already healed." Io said as she disappeared from sight.

"Well that can't be good." Ellipsis said as she started to follow.

"Again I apologize for my inconvenience. When I am the beast I am not my true self and if my suspicion in true. That one is going to have a rough few nights. Please stay by her if you can." Wolfgang said as he looked towards Jane.

"Is there a cure?" Jane asked.

"We can rub garlic on her before the next full moon!" Nyssia shouted.

"That's not how you cure lycanthrope." A voice called from the shadows. It was Ridley followed by Samantha.

"There's kind of no cure for it; so if you got it then we would have to chain you up a few times a month, no big deal really." Ridley said as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Jane!" Samantha said with a smile. She was glad to see Jane alright.

"Samantha, you're okay." Jane said with a smile. She too was glad to see Samantha up and walking around. Jane was impressed on how quickly Samantha was able to gain her strength back in such a short time but probably seeing her brother for the first time in years had something to do with it.

"If you don't mind, I shall take my leave." Wolfgang said as he walked off.

"Hey Wolfie!" Ridley called out. Wolfgang stopped for a moment and turned around. That was the first time he ever heard that name before. Sounded like a name you would give to a pet.

"Ya wanna come with us?" Ridley said.

"No thanks. I best be on my way." Wolfgang said. And with that he disappeared from their sight.

"Let's all get back to the bus. I think we are done here, finally." Ridley said with a smile.

"Wait…you guys brought the bus here?" Jane asked. It wasn't long before her question was fully answered. They started to head back towards the bus which was conveniently parked in the central area of the keep. Ridley talked about flying the bus through the sky, seeing the bright arch in the sky as well as meeting some of the locals. He went on about how they searched out the right kind of people and asked if they had heard anything about a young blonde haired girl and a stuck up red head. Jane was a bit displeased with her description of the story but she didn't let her emotions get the best of her. It was the overall story that really mattered. Samantha shared their version of the story as well. Ridley and Nyssia listened in as Samantha told them of the pirates they sailed with across the sky and into the arch. She told them of all the crystals they saw and wondered if hers was the same. After Ridley shared her the story of Ellipsis's guitar and the crystal, Samantha was a bit upset.

"I never knew that there was someone else inside of it." Samantha said in a melancholy tone.

"Ah don't worry about it. The soul is all good. A really nice one too. Told us all not to do anything reckless." Ridley said. At that moment Jane looked at Nyssia who was still covered in blood and had a few meat chunks in her hair. Nyssia was looking as oblivious as ever, wearing that childish smile on her face.

"Too late for that I'm sure." Jane said as they continued walking. After passing through the keep the central area was in ruins. The walls that surrounded the area were in pieces. The towers that were supposed to defend the area were gone. Pieces of debris lay upon the ground. Craters the size of trucks were seen all throughout the area. And in the center of this mess and rubble was a battle torn bus. It wasn't as shiny as it used to be. The shine had faded away and been replaced with ash and dirt. A few of the windows were cracked including the front windshield. Nyssia had obviously been driving. Samantha stared at the bus with disgust on her face.

"What the hell did you guys do to it?" Samantha yelled out as she ran up to the bus and inspected the wreck.

"Relax sis, it still holds up." Ridley said as he leaned against the bus.

"Yeah right, your idea of fixing things is to wrap it in tape and hook it with fish hooks and string." Samantha called out.

"Will this thing even run?" Jane asked as she carefully walked up to the bus as if she was about to enter an unstable reactor.

"Oh yeah, it's all good." Ridley said with confidence. Samantha looked at him with doubt written across her face.

"All Aboard!" Nyssia shouted as she put on her bus cap hat and fumbled her way to the driver's seat. Io and Ellipsis were already on the bus sitting in their usual seats in the back.

"Any idea of where we need to go?" Jane asked, hoping for a straight answer instead of some vague philosophical phrase.

"Where ever the wind takes us." Ridley said as he got on the bus. Jane rubbed her temple with her index and middle finger in frustration. This was going to be a long trip.

"Jane, remember what the captain said? We have to head past the mountains and into a hole in the world and find the wizard who can get us out of here." Samantha said as she got on the bus. That little reminder is what Jane was looking for. It seemed like this nightmare was almost over.

The bus soared into the air. The wreckage looked disastrous from above. As the bus flew through the sky Samantha told Nyssia specifically where to go. There was a smile on Nyssia's face as she maneuvered the bus and head north. Above the clouds the scenery was incredible. Light shades of purple and pink filled the area and the higher it went the darker the colors got till they made contact with the large white arch. The light from the arch started to dim slightly. The further north they traveled the more the clouds began to mix their colors. Soon there were shades of blue and green found in the mixture and they blended together to create a darker tone. It seemed peaceful. Samantha and Jane both felt like the worse was behind them. Io was in the back with Ellipsis while Ridley was sitting in the middle seat of the bus playing with cards; then the sound of thunder was heard off in the distance. Droplets of purple rain started to fall onto the bus. Jane was mesmerized by the scenery. It was not long before the smooth sailing started to turn into a rough one. As the bus started to shake and move violently the sound of thunder grew louder all around them. Streaks of orange and purple lighting could be seen outside of the bus. Up ahead there was a huge funnel of white, blue and purple clouds swirling together. From the back of the bus a loud voice was heard.

"There, that's where we need to go! Hold on everyone!" It was Ridley that said that. And with one last sudden jerk the bus flew into the cyclone head first. It was surprisingly quiet the entire time. All time seemed to cease. There was nothing. No sound, no booming voice…nothing.

What came out of ahead was nothing short of a bright white blue light. Suddenly everything froze. Everyone stood in place. It was silent.

Ellipsis found herself in a cavern. The rocks were gray only to be illuminated with the bright blue flames that sat opposite of a throne. Upon the throne rested a skeleton wrapped in a cloak. She was alone. There was no one else around her. She started to panic.

"Hello?" She called out. But no one answered back. On the other side of the cavern laid a pond of dark water. It was very still and very quiet. Ellipsis walked over to the skeleton. Most of the bones had degraded now to dust and the cloak looked like it was eaten by moths. The throne was a bright red color. Without warning the eyeholes of the skeleton lit up with bright white light.

"The contract must be fulfilled. You presence in this world is a violation of said contract." said a booming voice. Ellipsis didn't bother on searching for the voice. She knew very well where it was coming from. As she stared back at the skeleton the eyes shifted their focus towards her.

"You are indeed a strange person Ellipsis. Tell me, what does your heart desire?" The skeleton said. Ellipsis didn't say anything. Suddenly there appeared a white sphere before them. Clouded in white mist voices could be heard from within.

"I want to protect the ones I love." said a familiar strong voice.

"I want to see the universe." called out another.

"I just want a family." A quiet sad voice said.

"I just want to go home." said a rough voice.

"I want to find my brother." said a soft voice.

The voices in the sphere kept repeating the same phrases over and over again. Ellipsis looked at the sphere with fear in her eyes.

"Where are my friends?" Ellipsis called out to the skeleton.

"Is that what you desire? Your friends are easy to figure out. They were their hearts on their sleeves as you would put it. But you Ellipsis, you hide everything from everyone, even me. To come back from the dead, after a long deep sleep, you searched the world for thousands of years. Surely by now you must have figured out what you want." The skeleton said.

"Why do you want to know? And who are you anyway?" Ellipsis said in a harsh tone.

"I am the Mythic of the Umbral Sphere. I am who you and your friends seek." The skeleton said.

"You see, the contract that you are in with has been broken several times. Once when you were in Tartarus and now when you came to the Umbral Sphere. The conditions were laid out in the very beginning that you were to remain in the Photonic Sphere. So tell me, what does your heart desire?" The Mythic said. Ellipsis took a step back. She knew what she wanted more than anything. She wanted the nightmare to end. She wanted to go back and fix everything. She didn't want immortality or anything like that. All she really wanted to see her old friend again. She wanted to live her life to the fullest. She wanted to sing and dance with her friends. She wanted to have a family of her own and watch them grow old and one day pass on into the afterlife. What she wanted more than anything else was to feel alive again. Of course she didn't say that. It was written on her face and her tears. The Mythic made a groaning noise and began to sit up.

"So that's it huh?" The Mythic called out. Ellipsis reeled back in fright. She was taken completely off-guard. She did not expect this. Without saying anything the Mythic already knew what she was feeling. They already knew what she had wanted more than anything.

"I do agree with your claim. That the contract you were put in was unfair to you as it was proceeded without your consent. However, I simply cannot overturn the contract. But if you were given the choice, would you do things differently?" The Mythic questioned.

The words echoed in Ellipsis's head. Would she do things differently if she was given the choice? Was this even possible? The idea was overwhelming. Her mind started to spin with possibilities. But there still were other things on her mind but the idea of changing everything seemed too good to be true. She felt her knees weaken every second, her eyes starting fluttery with tears ready to roll down her cheek.

"What about my friends? Where have you got them now?" Ellipsis called out to the skeleton.

"Answer the question child. If you could-"The Mythic was suddenly cut off midsentence by Ellipsis.

"Yes! Yes already, you stupid bone head, yes!" Ellipsis said as she dropped to her knees. "If I could go back I would change everything." Ellipsis said with tears in her eyes.

"I see the worry in your eyes. You fear for your friend's safety yet you would change the past and ultimately their future." The Mythic said as they stood up and floated towards Ellipsis.

"I am willing to help you Ellipsis but only because the contract you are in was made without your consent, it is only fair that you are given a chance to add your own input if you so wish to hold the contract. But I must warn you, doing things differently will drastically alter the present course. This is not a risk free deal I offer you. You either accept the world as it is or you take responsibility for the consequences of your actions. However, I will offer you this in addition." The Mythic said as they raised its hand and points towards the dark water. Suddenly from within the center of the pool a dark circle object rose from the waters. It gave off an eerie feel to it. It sent shivers down Ellipsis's spine.

It was a mirror. The mirror itself was small. It had no handle to it. It was surrounded by a blue metal that shinned in the light and in the center was black glass. Ellipsis looked at it and felt nothing but dread.

"If you go back to your own, I want you to take this with you." The Mythic said.

"What is it?" Ellipsis questioned as she backed away from the mirror.

"They call it the Black Mirror. I believe you are familiar with its brother, The Dagger of Rah." The Mythic explained. As those words entered Ellipsis's head she suddenly remembered that day, the day when Allea killed her. An overwhelming amount of sadness filled her. Her chest felt heavy and her eyes started to fill with tears.

"It was Allea wasn't it. Allea was the one who made the deal with you?" Ellipsis said with sadness and guilt in her voice. Her body started to shake. It all made sense now.

"Yes. She came to me with an offer, her soul for yours. At the time I asked her why should she trade her life for a creature of shadow? She told me, 'Because I love her and I want her to be happy.' That was what she said and so I agreed to her conditions." The Mythic said with a sigh. The room grew quiet. Silence draped over the area like a thin blanket. Tears gently rolled down Ellipsis's face. They weren't tears of joy or anger for they did not sting. It was tears of sadness. They were softer and rolled much easier down her cheek and onto the floor. It seemed like an eternity until the silence was broken.

"It is said that the Dagger of Rah was said to be created to protect the Photonic Sphere from the Umbral Sphere. Ellipsis, I want you to take the Black Mirror. Take it far away from the Umbral Sphere and leave it in the Photonic Sphere. I want you to make sure that it will never find its way back, do that and I will ensure the safety of your friends. The Black Mirror must not fall into the hands of the corrupt. I see the pain in your eyes. You've suffered enough for several lifetimes. Your friends will remain in my care until such time when the request had been fulfilled. This is the best I can offer you." The Mythic said. Ellipsis stared into the mirror and suddenly felt sick to her stomach like she was riding the bus again in Tartarus with Nyssia driving. Faint voices could be heard from within the mirror.

"Hey Blu, ya feeling alright?" It was Io's voice. It was the same words she said to Ellipsis when they met Nyssia and she experienced terrible motion sickness.

"The Black Mirror has a unique feature to it that it can be used to travel backwards in time. To do so one must only think about a time and place. However, using so drains the user of their life energy. This is why I feel you are the only one who can use it and not be affected. You also have a strong desire to travel back and alter the course of history. Thus I offer it to you. If you accept the offer reach out and touch the mirror I must warn you, it may be a bit rough." The mythic said as they floated back to the throne and sat down. Ellipsis hesitated. Could she really trust this creature? She didn't know. It was like she was standing on the edge of a great gorge and peering into nothing but darkness. She felt alone and scared. To accept the world as it is or face the consequences of her actions. Those were her choices. She wished that she had something to drink or more time to think this over. But she didn't have either. This was her chance though, to change things, no, to fix things. With a heavy heart she walked forward to the Black Mirror and reached out to it.

The mirror seemed to pulse with activity. Ellipsis peered into the mirror. Funny enough she saw herself. It must have been ages since she last saw her reflection in a mirror. Ellipsis took a deep breath as the mirror started to vibrate more. Suddenly a sweet voice came to her ears.

"Ellipsis…Please do not be reckless." It was Allea. Ellipsis smiled. Then the whole world around her started to shake and bend. It was as if someone had stretched the room around her. Suddenly she was thrusted into the darkness at an incredible speed. Darkness surrounded her. Then a bright white light shinned into her face. It burned ever so much. The force she was feeling was great. It was like someone was pulling on her with incredible strength.

She suddenly was given one last tug and into the light she went. Her head started to spin as she was engulfed by the white hot light. Momentary she found herself standing. She no longer felt like she was moving. The world around her slowly formed back. The light stared to fade. Her head was still spinning and she felt an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach. She let go of the Black Mirror and it landed softly on the ground. She fell over onto the floor. It was soft. She blinked and realized where she was. She was resting in a field. Then a voice entered into her ears. First it sounded unclear and distorted like she was underwater. Then the voice shifted and became clearer.

"Ellipsis! Oh Gods. Are you alright?" cried out a voice.

Ellipsis looked up to see a figure approach her. The figure was blurring at first but then slowly reshaped itself and became clear. Ellipsis stared at the figure.

"Blondie?" Ellipsis said in a lethargic tone. But it was not Samantha who she was staring at. It was Allea. Ellipsis blinked a few times before realizing it. Suddenly Ellipsis felt a throbbing her head. It was incredibly painful as if someone was putting her head in a printing press. Then finally, she felt it release.

"Oh heavens, your nose." Allea cried out. Ellipsis sat up quickly. Her head was still spinning. She touched her nose and felt that it was wet. It was blood. Ellipsis gave out a shriek. She reeled back with shock at the sight. Ellipsis then realized she wasn't wearing the same clothes she had before but instead she had a dark green dress on. Allea approached her and pulled out a cloth and wiped Ellipsis's nose.

"My goodness it's as though you had never seen blood before." Allea said as she cleaned Ellipsis's nose.

Ellipsis was still taking it all in. She was back, back in the field; back with Allea. Ellipsis turned to Allea; she was dressed in a white gown with white flowers in her hair. It has been a long time since she had seen her old friend. The last time she saw her it was the day she died.

"Allea…" Ellipsis said as she went up to Allea hugging her. Tears started to roll down Ellipsis's cheek. Allea was stunned at the scene.

"Oh god Allea I missed you so much." Ellipsis said as she started to cry. Allea stood still, shocked and confused she said, "My dear friend Ellipsis, what is going on? We just spent the day together."

Ellipsis was overwhelmed with joy. For a moment she didn't say anything. Allea stood by holding her. After Ellipsis had ceased to cry she picked her head up. She looked at Allea and smiled.

"Oh Allea…I'm so sorry. I…I really messed things up." Ellipsis said as she sniffed and looked like she was about to cry again. Allea stood in silence under a cloud of confusion.

"Would you care to tell me what is wrong with…." But Allea's sentence was cut short. As she stared at Ellipsis something seemed off to her. It was as if something dark had entered into Ellipsis and was now staring back at her. A shiver ran down her spine. It was strange, she saw her friend before her, but something was using her body and voice but she could not figure out who it was. Ellipsis caught wind of what was going on as Allea took a step back.

"Who are you?" Allea said as she stared at Ellipsis. Ellipsis had a feeling this would come to it. Allea always could tell when something was wrong. She knew she couldn't hide the truth from her long, she would eventually find out and maybe it would best if she did know.

"Allea…I am Ellipsis. But I am not the Ellipsis you know. I am from the future and I have come back in time to warn you about unforeseen consequences." Ellipsis said. Allea looked at Ellipsis with doubt written on her face.

"If you are really Ellipsis, then prove it." Allea said. Ellipsis was a bit bewildered at the request. She hadn't thought of anything. She looked around.

"We use to play in this field when we were younger. You would dance and I would play the lute." Ellipsis replied. Allea was surprised.

"What was the tune that you would play? Describe it." Allea asked. She kept her distance from Ellipsis unsure of what would happen next.

"The tune; the tune was simple. It was a haunting tune, a sweet tune, it was a happy tune and yet a sad tune; a tune that would crawl up your spine in the middle of the night. It was the kind of tune that can give one nightmares. But at the same time it was the kind of tune that can sooth someone. It is a gentle tune. It can bring people together or scare them. The tune itself is very simple, but it's really how you look at it. I wonder, will you sing that tune to the child that you will bear one day?" Ellipsis said. Allea stood in shock. She was not expecting such a description as well as any mentioning of her being pregnant. In addition, Ellipsis started to hum the tune to Allea. Allea was stunned. She was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She was thunderstruck. There was suddenly a great weight lifted off of Allea's shoulders. Tears started to form in Allea's eyes.

"Oh, my dear friend." Allea said as she went up to Ellipsis.

"My stars, what has happened to you? I feel that something dark has crawled inside of you. I see the pain in your eyes. My good friend, please tell me. Why have you crossed an ocean of time to be here? Has the events of tonight turned into a nightmare for tomorrow?" Allea asked with a concern tone. She was full of anticipation. But nothing was clearer to her now. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the darkness that she was looking into was Ellipsis; but how?

"Allea…Just promise me this, whatever happens to me, whatever you may hear, please don't try and bring me back. For the sake of all of us, please don't try to bring me back." Ellipsis told Allea with tears in her eyes.

"I will…I promise. But one thing I must ask of you. How did you get here?" Allea asked. She was obviously worried about what might occur tonight but she was also worried about her friend, her friend who has been through so much. Ellipsis's eyes widen with fright. She looked around her and saw the Black Mirror just sitting a few feet from her. The moment Allea saw the Black Mirror she was captivated by it. It had the most unusual impression surrounding it. It seemed to be sucking the light all around it. Allea stepped away from the mirror. Her eyes fixated on it. Ellipsis knew what Allea was frightened of and she was right to be afraid.

"I came back here using that mirror. I don't know what it holds but it's not good." Ellipsis said. Ellipsis turned to Allea who was still eyeing the mirror and redirected her attention back to her.

"I'm going to the ritual tonight and I'm going to fight whatever I meet on the other end of the rift. And you're still getting on that raft and getting out of here. But before any of that I'm gonna burry that mirror so no one will ever come across it." Ellipsis said with a confident tone. Allea nodded her head in agreement. The Black Mirror gave her a nightmarish feeling from just staring at it, like she was swimming in a sea of darkness with monsters all around her. In a flash it was as if her worse fears came to life.

"Ellipsis…just one more thing before we part ways…Does the child live?" Allea asked with worry in her eyes.

"Oh you better believe it. Thousands of years from now I run into your super great, great, great, granddaughter. Kids got pep I'll tell you that much. Really reminds me of you in a lot of ways, except she's not afraid of butterflies as far as I know." Ellipsis said with a grin. Allea looked at Ellipsis with a scowl on her face and her eyes squinted.

"I was a child at the time and it scared me." Allea said defending herself.

"Yeah, and I was laughing. Blue. It was a blue butterfly wasn't it?" Ellipsis said with a small smile. Allea glared at Ellipsis for bringing up the embarrassing memory. But she shrugged it off with a smile. No one else could have known except for her friend.

"Yes and thankfully I never saw it again." Allea said with a sigh. Ellipsis chuckled a bit. But as much as she would have loved to sit by with her old friend and catch up, in a way, there was much work to be done. It wasn't long before they both said their final farewells. Both knew they were not going to see one another ever again. Though Ellipsis turned away with a smile, deep down it felt like she was dying all over again. Ellipsis buried the mirror as she said she would. She hoped that she would never touch that vile thing again. Night was starting to fall. The ritual would commence soon.

It has been a very long time since Ellipsis had seen her old village. The wooden walls that were raised around the village looked like they hadn't seen conflict in many years. Ellipsis didn't even remember if there were any other villages around here. Funny enough to her the sunlight didn't feel so bad in fact it felt nice. She forgot so many things about it. As she walked through she was greeted by many people. She didn't remember their names so she just waved and walked by. The drums were beating off in the distance. Now was the time to act.

Ellipsis snuck her way into the armory. The smith who was working there saw her.

"Oye, Ellipsis now is it? What can I get for ya?" The smith said in a very rough accent. Ellipsis blinked a few times in confusion.

"Oh I'm just looking around." Ellipsis said with a smile.

"Alright child, just stay away from the fires. Ya coming down with something, child, ya sound kind of funny." Ellipsis shook her head and with that the smith went back to his crafts. He was clearly focused on a particular dagger that he was making. Ellipsis moved around the armory and found a short sword still wrapped in fresh cloth. She never was the best with such a weapon. She even wondered if she still knew how to fight with a blade. No time to practice now she thought. Now was the time to sneak off into the chief's manor. The night air was lit up with torches everywhere and the sound of drunken tunes from the local populace.

The chief's manor was on the far end of the village. Allea lived in that home for a good long time until tonight. Ellipsis was sure that the whole area was sealed off. Feeling the cold air brush past her face she felt her heart pound with anticipation.

 _What in the world has happened to me?_ She thought to herself. This was a most strange and unusual night. The way was clear. She started to remember everything about the area. She used an old hidden path that she and Allea took when they were kids and she used the same path this time too to sneak into the chief's manor right into Allea's room. As she crawled through the window with the sword strapped to her back, she began to undress herself as the ceremony robes were laying on Allea's bed. As she took off her dress she noticed one last thing about herself that made everything clear. What she had originally thought was another person in the room turned out to be her reflection in a mirror. Ellipsis stood in front of the mirror completely flabbergasted.

 _Holy shit! Am I human again?_ She thought to herself.

As she stared at herself she immediately noticed that she no longer had the tattoos that used to run all over her body and her skin was not as pale as it used to be. Her eyes seemed to have a shine to them as if they were polished and full of life instead of faded and lifeless.

"What the hell did that mirror do to me?" She whispered to herself. This brought about another concern for her as she put on the ceremony robes.

"No time to think." She said to herself. She wrapped the sword around her back and covered it with the robes. The robes were heavy enough to conceal the blade. Ellipsis started to feel she was running out of time when suddenly a knock from the door came.

"Miss, your escort is outside." A voice from the other side called out. It was perfect timing as the door slowly opened and Ellipsis quickly flipped over the large hood concealing her face. She felt her heart racing a mile a minute. She didn't know what to think of it other than it was the most sensational feeling she has ever felt in the last five thousand years. As Ellipsis left Allea's room she was met with other dressed like her except they were obviously wielding weapons. She moved in between them as they led her out of the manor, across the village and through the open gate.

The night sky was lit up with so many stars. It had a beautiful tint of blue with it. As the group marched they met up with another group of hooded members who were standing in a circle surrounding a large stone platform. Ellipsis knew what to do. She stood in the center piece. In the center she noticed there were strange symbols written on it surrounding a picture of the moon. She recognized the symbols. It was Umbralite, the language of the Umbral Sphere. It said, "Farewell to the world of light."

Ellipsis chuckled to herself. She knew what was to happen next. And this time she was ready.

"Goodbye Allea." She said.

As the group started to chant, the area around Ellipsis started to glow bright pink. A column of bright light shot high into the sky. Ellipsis was engulfed in it. For a moment she was surrounded by the pink light with orange sparks all around her. The air felt damp and cold and suddenly she was gone.

Off in the distance, Allea was getting ready to cast off. She found the raft hidden among the bushes near the water as well as a small bag of food and a water container. As the column of light burst into the sky, Allea looked up at it.

"Farewell Ellipsis." She said with a tear in her eye.

Across the waters, a tune was softly carried by the wind. It was a haunting tune, a sweet tune. It was the kind of tune that can heal one's soul and scare another. It was the kind of tune that would make one happy and at the same time make them sad. It was a gentle tune, a sweet tune, a haunting tune, a farewell tune and at the same time, an ageless tune.


End file.
